# US Navy inspects Hanwha Philly Shipyard, workforce now 2,500

**Published:** September 10, 2026  
**By:** Mina Okoro  
**Section:** Analysis & Comparison — Cross-border  
**Format:** Breaking  
**Confidence:** medium  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/analysis/us-navy-inspects-hanwha-philly-shipyard-233  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Navy Acting Secretary Hung Cao toured Hanwha Philly Shipyard on Sept. 10 to review fleet capacity
- Yard headcount reached 2,500 workers across 115 acres, with four of five NSMV hulls delivered
- Final training vessel is due in 2027 as yard advances Next Generation Logistics Ship concept work

![Two shipyard workers weld steel components as large vessels and gantry cranes stand in drydock in the background. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-09-10-8867fcbe764b.webp)
*Two shipyard workers weld steel components as large vessels and gantry cranes stand in drydock in the background. (AI-generated image)*

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao inspected Hanwha Philly Shipyard on Sept. 10, reviewing targeted drydock investments and workforce expansion to accelerate U.S. naval auxiliary construction and fleet maintenance.

Hanwha has expanded the facility's active workforce to 2,500 personnel from roughly 1,000 at acquisition, operating across a 115-acre footprint. The yard accounts for roughly 50% of all large commercial vessels built under the Jones Act since 2000.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "US Navy inspects Hanwha Philly Shipyard, workforce now 2,500," September 10, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/analysis/us-navy-inspects-hanwha-philly-shipyard-233