TOTE has recently signed a contract with MARAD for the project management of missile tracking ships (MRIV). This project includes the construction of three ships for the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and immediately a subcontract for the construction of the first ship's core has been awarded to Hanwha Philly.
Contract Details
In July, MARAD announced that a contract had been awarded to Hanwha Philly and TOTE Services for the construction of the MRIVs. These ships will be equipped with radar units the size of a house and will be used to track and analyze missile flights during tests. The ships will be sent to MDA missile testing areas for research and development work in support of the Trump administration's "Iron Dome" project. They will replace two old ships, Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, both of which are over 50 years old.
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Design and Efficiency of the Ships
The design of the MRIV is derived from the previous design by Hanwha Philly and TOTE for National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV). Choosing an existing design as the basis for the MDA ships should bring efficiencies, as the Hanwha and TOTE teams and their suppliers are familiar with this design. The two companies believe that having a shipbuilding manager between the shipyard and the government contracting authority will reduce the construction cost of a typical federal shipbuilding program by about 50 percent.
Images released by TOTE show that two large radomes are installed on the bow of the new ship and a box-shaped radar array is mounted at the rear. These graphics also indicate that the two-deck design of the NSMV ships, which was intended for simultaneous training of many students, has been reduced to a single deck. The accommodation block has also been shortened, leaving more space for the large rear radar, and the number of lifeboats has been reduced.
The NSMV design has always been intended for auxiliary maritime roles if needed and is now being utilized in this application. The NSMV from SUNY Maritime is currently preparing for deployment in support of U.S. forces abroad, demonstrating the secondary capability of the design in a national security mission.
The MRIV will come off the hot production line of NSMV at Hanwha Philly, with the first ship expected to be delivered in 2030.
David Kim, CEO of Hanwha Philly Shipyard, stated: "The MRIV program demonstrates the value of maintaining an active and capable U.S. shipbuilding industrial base that can leverage proven platforms, experienced personnel, and established production infrastructure for new and increasingly important missions."
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