# U.S. Navy Weighs Korean Ship Construction

The Trump administration is considering exceptions that could let South Korean shipyards build initial U.S. Navy vessels, with follow-on ships constructed domestically. Potential procurements include surface combatants, non-combat replenishment oilers, and roll-on/roll-off cargo ships. Procurement plans, budgets, and congressional action on restrictions in the FY2027 NDAA remain unresolved; orders are reported as possible as early as December 2026. Hanwha has also reportedly secured a U.S. Navy medium-sized landing ship project and completed MARAD’s State of Maine National Security Multi-Mission Vessel at its Philadelphia shipyard by August 2026.

- **Why this matters:** An exception could create work for Korean shipyards while establishing domestic follow-on construction, affecting shipbuilding capacity, industrial-base planning, and the division of work between overseas and U.S. suppliers.
- Shipbuilders and suppliers should evaluate potential opportunities across combatants, replenishment oilers, and cargo ships, while recognizing that no procurement plan or budget is finalized.
- Contractors should track U.S. Navy and DoD requirements and the FY2027 NDAA process; the proposed approach depends on policy decisions and congressional action, so the possible December 2026 orders are not confirmed.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Transportation
**Topics:** Policy
**Published:** November 01, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Navy (USN)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD)
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (South Korea)

### Vendors
- Hanwha (Shipbuilder; reported builder of a U.S. Navy medium-sized landing ship and operator of Hanwha Philly Shipyard)

### Sources
- [Korean Shipyards Could Build U.S. Navy Ships Under Trump Plan ](https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2026/11/02/3YOLZNIT55EADCUQHJRJ32EWN4) - 조선일보