TOTE Mobilizes U.S. Shipbuilding Base for Navy’s $2.2 Billion Landing Ship Program

TOTE Services has begun assembling the nationwide shipbuilding and supplier network that will support the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ Medium Landing Ship program, bringing together more than 30 shipbuilders, equipment manufacturers and defense contractors as the $2.2 billion effort moves toward construction.

The company hosted an LSM Industry Day in Washington, drawing companies from more than a dozen states for briefings on the program’s construction schedule, technical requirements, bidding process and subcontracting opportunities.

The gathering marks one of the first major industry mobilization efforts since TOTE was selected in July as Vessel Construction Manager for the program, putting the company in charge of coordinating shipyards, suppliers and manufacturers for construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships.

“Delivering the Medium Landing Ship program for the Navy and Marine Corps relies on a resilient, high-performing industrial base,” TOTE Services President Jeff Dixon said.

“Under the Vessel Construction Management model, our suppliers are not just vendors—they are critical execution partners,” Dixon added. “Gathering this supplier network in one room is where production speed, supply chain stability, and cost discipline begin.”

TOTE said the Industry Day is intended to lay the foundation for a nationwide supply chain capable of supporting construction across multiple shipyards, while maintaining a standardized vessel configuration and using multi-ship procurement to control costs.

The list of attendees included several shipyards that could play significant roles in the program, including Bollinger Shipyards, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Other participants included Leidos Gibbs & Cox, Hanwha Defense USA, Kiewit Offshore, ABS, Alfa Laval, Fairbanks Morse Defense, L3Harris, MacGregor, Palfinger and Schottel.

The Navy selected TOTE in July under a Vessel Construction Manager contract valued at up to $2.2 billion. Rather than contracting separately with individual shipyards, the model puts TOTE in the middle of the procurement effort, with responsibility for awarding and managing shipyard subcontracts, coordinating suppliers and overseeing costs, schedules and delivery.

TOTE said it plans to use the structure to distribute construction across multiple U.S. yards while creating more predictable demand for domestic marine manufacturers.

“The LSM contract serves as an opportunity to grow America’s domestic shipbuilding supply chain,” said Chris Clark, TOTE Services vice president of new construction. “We’re not just building ships, we’re building a pipeline of demand that American manufacturers can plan around for years to come.”

The Medium Landing Ship is a cornerstone of the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept, which calls for smaller, dispersed Marine units capable of moving rapidly between islands and austere coastal locations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The roughly 4,000-ton vessels are designed to transport Marines, vehicles, equipment and supplies in contested littoral environments. The Navy earlier this year selected Damen Naval’s LST-100 as the baseline design.

Fincantieri Marine Group received a $30 million contract in April covering long-lead materials, engineering and production readiness work for the first four vessels, with construction potentially beginning as early as the fourth quarter of 2026. Under the Navy’s current plan, Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Bollinger Shipyards are expected to build the initial vessels, while TOTE manages the broader production effort and awards for additional ships.

The Navy and Marine Corps ultimately envision a 35-ship LSM fleet, making the program a potentially significant source of sustained work for U.S. shipyards and marine equipment manufacturers if the full procurement moves forward.

TOTE’s role builds on its management of the Maritime Administration’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program, which has become a showcase for the Vessel Construction Manager approach amid broader concerns over delays and cost overruns in U.S. government shipbuilding.

TOTE has overseen construction of five NSMVs at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Four have now been delivered, with the fourth vessel, Lone Star State, scheduled for delivery to Texas A&M Maritime Academy this month. The fifth, Golden State, remains under construction.

The Navy adopted the commercial-style management model for LSM as it seeks to accelerate production, impose greater cost and schedule discipline and broaden participation in the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

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