TOTE Services has finalized its contract with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to oversee the construction of new missile tracking ships. This agreement allows Hanwha Philly Shipyard to commence work on the first ship in this series.
The Jacksonville, Florida-based company announced on Wednesday that it has signed a contract with MARAD to manage the construction of the ship and has immediately awarded a shipbuilding contract to Hanwha Philly Shipyard. This agreement advances the plan announced in July to replace two old missile tracking ships. The first new ship, named Golden Defender, is expected to be delivered in 2030.
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Details of the New Ships
The new ships will replace the Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, which were built in 1965 and 1970 respectively and currently support missile testing and tracking operations. The project is based on the collaboration between TOTE and Hanwha Philly Shipyard, which have built five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) for MARAD under a shipbuilding management model.
According to TOTE, the new missile tracking ships will have a similar hull design to the NSMVs, with approximately 70 percent of their design being shared. This allows Hanwha to utilize an existing production line, supply chain, and workforce, eliminating the need to start a new shipbuilding program from scratch.
New Construction and Financing Model
TOTE has stated that it completed design advancements, contract negotiations, and fixed-price arrangements in less than three months, while this process could take over a year under traditional government financing methods. Jeff Dixon, President of TOTE Services, stated that signing the missile tracking ship contract and executing the subcontract with the shipyard brings us closer to delivering a new generation of U.S. defensive capabilities.
Under the vessel construction management (VCM) model, MARAD contracts with TOTE to manage the shipbuilding program, while TOTE awards and oversees construction contracts with shipyards. This arrangement assigns the responsibility for coordinating design, suppliers, construction scheduling, and costs to a commercial ship manager. TOTE claims this approach can reduce supply costs by at least 50 percent compared to traditional methods.
For Hanwha Philly Shipyard, this agreement provides another source of government shipbuilding work as the facility nears the completion of the NSMV program. This facility in Philadelphia currently employs over 2000 production workers.
The missile defense contract also adds to TOTE's expanding portfolio of government shipbuilding projects. In July, the company secured a contract worth up to $2.2 billion to manage the construction of a new fleet of medium landing ships for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
The MRIV program is being implemented under a collaboration between the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, and the Missile Defense Agency. The ships are designed to support the Golden Dome missile defense initiative of the Trump administration. The new agreement includes the construction of the first ship in what TOTE describes as a series of missile tracking ships.
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