10,200-ton submarine for US: Hanwha proposes to build nuclear vessels

South Korean defense conglomerate Hanwha Group has proposed building nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines for the U.S. Navy at its Philadelphia shipyard, which it acquired and has been modernizing since 2023. This proposal comes amid growing pressure on the U.S. Navy to expand its submarine fleet and address production delays at existing shipyards. Hanwha emphasizes that its facility could help alleviate the current bottleneck by adding critical shipbuilding capacity, supporting the U.S. government's strong commitment to nuclear submarine capabilities for itself and its allies. Nuclear-powered submarines like the Virginia class are among the most complex military platforms to construct, requiring stringent safety, security, and regulatory compliance along with specialized infrastructure and skilled labor. Hanwha’s plan would expand the U.S. naval industrial base rather than replace existing builders, marking a significant development in defense-industrial cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea. The Virginia-class submarines, with a submerged displacement of about 10,200 tons,