Overview
- TOTE Services received the Vessel Construction Manager contract on Monday under a $2.2 billion award with options that raise the value to about $2.6 billion to cover up to eight Medium Landing Ships.
- For the initial production block the Navy directed TOTE to execute and manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards for one ship and Fincantieri Marinette Marine for four ships while giving TOTE flexibility to award up to three more.
- Work is expected to ramp this year with construction starting later in 2026 and the first ship targeted for delivery in the fall of 2029.
- The VCM model gives TOTE the prime contract and direct control of shipyard subcontracts, a commercial approach the Navy says will lower development risk and improve cost and schedule discipline; TOTE brings prior VCM experience from the NSMV program and named technical partners to support execution.
- The LSM, built on Damen’s off-the-shelf LST-100 design, is meant to fill a gap between small landing craft and large amphibious ships and to enable Marine Corps distributed littoral operations while providing steady work and supplier demand for U.S. shipyards and maritime workers.