The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected TOTE Services and Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI) to build two next-generation missile tracking ships under a $2-billion program supporting the Golden Dome homeland air and missile defense initiative.
The Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIVs) will replace the aging Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, built in 1965 and 1970, respectively, which currently support missile range instrumentation missions.
Announced by President Donald Trump, the Golden Dome for America initiative seeks to establish a layered homeland defense shield against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats. The architecture is expected to integrate space-, air-, sea-, and ground-based sensors and interceptors into a unified command-and-control network.
As part of that effort, the MRIVs will provide “advanced tracking capabilities to observe missile interception tests over the Pacific Ocean, gather mission-critical data, and support range safety operations,” according to a US Department of Transportation (DOT) press release.
The telemetry and other mission data collected during the tests will support the MDA’s evaluation of missile defense system performance and future capability development.
The interagency MRIV project is being managed through the Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency within the DOT, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in 2030.
“This new ship will not only support the President’s policy of restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, but also support the President’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system over the entirety of our nation. Golden Defender will serve the Missile Defense Agency in this mission,” Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought said during announcement of the award.
50 Percent Cheaper Acquisition
HPSI will build the vessels at its Philadelphia shipyard, while TOTE Services will serve as vessel construction manager under the same model used for MARAD’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program.
HPSI will build the MRIVs using the proven NSMV hull design, active production line, established supply chain, and skilled workforce already in place at its shipyard.
The five-vessel NSMV program has already delivered three ships. The fourth, Lone Star State, was christened recently and is scheduled for delivery in the coming months, while the fifth and final vessel is expected in mid-2027.
According to the companies, the vessel construction manager approach used for the MRIV program can reduce acquisition costs by at least 50 percent compared with traditional government procurement methods.
The model also aims to speed up deliveries by defining requirements up front and streamlining change-order approvals, ensuring the vessels are mission-ready upon delivery.
“The Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel advances our national security as a centerpiece of the Administration’s Golden Dome for America initiative,” President of TOTE Services Jeff Dixon said.
“TOTE Services’ Vessel Construction Management model has proven to be a success in the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program from the Department of Transportation and MARAD.”
