TOTE Services has signed a contract with the U.S. Maritime Administration (Marad) to manage construction of the Missile Defense Agency’s new Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel program and awarded construction of the first ship to Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Philadelphia.
The Jacksonville, Fla.-based TOTE will serve as vessel construction manager for the program, which will replace the aging Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, built in 1965 and 1970, respectively.
TOTE said it executed the shipyard subcontract with Hanwha Philly Shipyard immediately after receiving the Marad award. The first MRIV is scheduled for delivery in 2030 and is planned as the first in a series of vessels for the Missile Defense Agency.
The program was announced earlier this year. Since then, TOTE has worked to finalize contract terms, advance the vessel design and establish firm fixed pricing.
The MRIV is based on the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel design already being built at Hanwha Philly Shipyard under TOTE’s management. TOTE said the new vessel will use the same hull design and have about 70% commonality with the NSMV platform.
That commonality is intended to reduce construction risk while allowing the yard to use the production line, supply chain and workforce already in place for the NSMV program.
“Signing the Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel contract and executing the shipyard subcontract brings us closer to delivering the next generation of U.S. defense capability,” said Jeff Dixon, president of TOTE Services. “Our proven Vessel Construction Management model means we’re hitting the milestones sooner and making meaningful progress faster.”
TOTE currently manages and operates Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector for Marad and the Missile Defense Agency. The vessels support missile range instrumentation missions.
The MRIV program is an interagency effort involving Marad, the Missile Defense Agency, and the Department of War, according to TOTE.
Hanwha Philly Shipyard will build the vessel using the infrastructure, workforce and supply chain established through the NSMV program.
