Hanwha Philly Shipyard has been tapped to build two Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels for the Pentagon to the tune of $2 billion, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced Friday.
The declaration came during the christening of the Department of Transportation’s fourth national security multi-mission vessel — Lone Star State — which will be used to train the next generation of merchant mariners at Texas A&M Maritime Academy, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation release.
The shipyard, in collaboration with TOTE Services, has delivered four NSMVs to the department’s Maritime Administration. A fifth is scheduled to be delivered in 2027.
TOTE Services will be on hand to serve as the vessel construction manager for the building of the two MRIV vessels, according to Hanwha’s release.
The shipyard, a subsidiary of the South Korean Hanwha Group, was selected to build the new missile-tracking vessels set to replace the aging Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, which were constructed in 1965 and 1970, respectively, according to the shipyard’s release.
The two ships, working on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency, monitor and collect data on ballistic missile tests in the Pacific Ocean. The first MRIV, dubbed the “Golden Defender,” is slated to be delivered in June 2030 and will also support President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system, Vought said during the ceremony.
“It is thus my honor to announce the awarding of a contract to build the newest Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel ‘Golden Defender’ right here in Philadelphia under the combined management of Hanwha Philly and TOTE Services as the vessel construction manager,” Vought said. “This new ship will not only support the President’s policy of restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, but also support the President’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system over the entirety of our nation. Golden Defender will serve the Missile Defense Agency in this mission.”
Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.