Hanwha Hires Former Top U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Officer

 

Hanwha Ocean's U.S. defense division has hired a former leader of the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding enterprise to oversee its American operations. The decision is a strategic boost for Hanwha's bid to become a significant player in U.S. defense shipbuilding, which is dominated by two prime contractors. 

Rear Adm. Tom Anderson (USN, ret'd) served in the U.S. Navy for 34 years, including time at the helm of Program Executive Office Ships and as acting commander for all of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the service's sprawling acquisition directorate. At sea, his tours included USS Capodanno (FF 1093) and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51). He picked the engineering duty community and held commands across the shipbuilding and repair enterprise, including head of the Littoral Combat Ship shipbuilding office; commander of a Naval Surface Warfare Center; and commander of surface ship maintenance. He took over as head of PEO Ships in 2020, and was selected to be acting commander of NAVSEA from 2023-4. 

In his new role as President of U.S. Shipbuilding at the Hanwha Defense USA division, Anderson will hold responsibility for Hanwha's U.S. shipbuilding programs and yard operations; program strategy; and infrastructure and workforce improvements. The portfolio is a significant one: Hanwha purchased Philly Shipyard last year and has pledged to invest $5 billion in its expansion. Naval vessels, starting with auxiliaries, are square in Hanwha's sights for contracting opportunities. 

Hanwha wants to increase its operations at Philly tenfold in ten years, and to get there it is investing in technological improvements to increase Philly's efficiency. It also has an active training program and it plans to create thousands of new jobs. To kickstart its book of business, it has announced a plan to order 10 Jones Act medium range tankers from itself - the largest commercial vessel order in the United States in 20 years. 

Hanwha and "Big Three" brethren Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries have all developed an interest in breaking into the U.S. market, and not just for their own business purposes. Korean shipbuilding expertise is valued by the Trump administration, and Korea's pledge to invest in American shipyard capacity was a major part of the recent trade deal that Seoul agreed with Washington. That deal secured competitive U.S. tariff rates for mission-critical Korean exports, like cars and computer chips.