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Signs MOU with Major U.S. Designer That Designed 70% or More of U.S. Navy Surface Ships
Integrates U.S. Designs into Hanwha Ocean’s Shipbuilding Capabilities…Bolsters Competitiveness
Hanwha Ocean has partnered with a leading U.S. naval designer as it moves to pursue the U.S. warship market.
Hanwha Ocean said April 22 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Leidos Gibbs & Cox on April 21 (local time) during SAS 2026 in Maryland. The agreement is aimed at strengthening shipbuilding capabilities for the U.S. and allied navies.
Under the MOU, the companies will adapt Hanwha Ocean designs to meet U.S. Navy requirements, jointly develop next-generation vessels for global markets, build supply chains using U.S. and domestic production facilities, and optimize ship designs for efficient production and long-term sustainment.
The partnership gives Hanwha Ocean a strategic foothold to improve its competitiveness on U.S. naval ship programs and in the global ship market.
Gibbs & Cox, a core affiliate of Leidos, is one of the U.S.’s foremost naval architecture firms. The company has contributed to the design of 70% or more of U.S. Navy surface combatants since World War II and maintains design and engineering capabilities for principal platforms, including the Aegis destroyer (DDG-51), the Constellation-class frigate (FFG-62), large unmanned surface vessels (LUSV), and the next-generation destroyer (DDG(X)).
Industry analysts say combining Hanwha Ocean’s shipbuilding capacity with Gibbs & Cox’s design expertise could significantly improve Hanwha’s prospects in the U.S. market. Gibbs & Cox previously served as a key partner when Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri established its U.S. presence.
Fincantieri collaborated with Gibbs & Cox on the Constellation-class frigate and the Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) programs to build its local footprint.
“Leidos has been a trusted partner of the U.S. Navy for decades,” said Mike Rickels, vice president of Leidos Gibbs & Cox. “By partnering with Hanwha Ocean, we can combine proven design expertise with world-class manufacturing capability to develop vessels optimized for future demand.”
“This agreement will give Hanwha Ocean a technological edge in both the U.S. and global ship markets,” said Eo Seong-cheol, head of Hanwha Ocean’s Special Ship Division. “Working with Leidos, we will accelerate our entry into the global maritime defense market and deliver measurable results.”
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