U.S. Navy Awards $2.2B Contract for Medium Landing Ships Program
The U.S. Navy awarded TOTE Services a $2.2 billion contract to manage construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) for the Marine Corps, using a new Vessel Construction Manager model. Based on a Dutch LST-100 design, the 4,000-tonne ships will support Pacific island-hopping operations. Bollinger Shipyards and Fincantieri Marinette Marine will build the first five vessels, with delivery expected by fall 2029. The program is part of President Trump’s “Golden Fleet” initiative to accelerate shipbuilding via commercial practices.
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Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) for the Marine Corps. The LSMs, designed for island-hopping operations in the Indo-Pacific amid potential conflict with China, are approximately 100 meters long and can beach themselves to deliver over 800 tons of cargo. TOTE will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one vessel) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four vessels), with a strategy for the remaining three to be determined. Construction begins in 2026, with the first LSM delivery scheduled for fall 2029. The ships are part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative and are based on the Dutch Damen Naval LST-100 design, already in use by the Nigerian Navy and selected by Australia.
Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of up to eight new Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) for the Marine Corps. The contract, mandated by the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, aims to accelerate shipbuilding by adopting commercial practices. TOTE will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one vessel) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four vessels), with a strategy for the remaining three to be determined. Construction begins later this year, with the first LSM delivery expected in fall 2029. The LSMs, based on Damen Naval's LST-100 design, are approximately 100 meters long, can beach themselves, and carry over 800 tons of cargo. They are part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative and are designed for island-hopping operations in potential Indo-Pacific conflicts with China.
Navy Awards TOTE $2.2 Billion to Manage Medium Landing Ship Construction
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program, aimed at supporting Marine Corps operations in the Indo-Pacific. The contract, directed by Congress under the FY2026 NDAA, tasks TOTE with managing construction of up to eight LSMs. Bollinger Shipyards will build one vessel, Fincantieri Marinette Marine will build four, and TOTE will determine the award strategy for the remaining three. Construction begins later in 2026, with the first LSM delivered by fall 2029. The LSMs, based on Damen Naval's LST-100 design, are approximately 100 meters long, can beach themselves, carry over 800 tons of cargo, and have a 3,400 nautical mile range. The program is part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative to modernize the Navy with new manned and unmanned vessels.
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Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) aimed at potential conflicts with China in the Indo-Pacific. The 100-meter ships are designed for island hopping with troops and supplies. Under the FY2026 NDAA, Congress mandated a non-military VCM to speed up construction using commercial practices. TOTE will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one LSM) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four LSMs), with a strategy for three more vessels. Construction begins in 2026, with the first delivery in fall 2029. The LSMs are part of President Trump's Golden Fleet initiative. The design is based on Damen Naval's LST-100, already used by the Nigerian Navy and selected by Australia.
Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) under the Marine Corps' new program aimed at potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific. The VCM approach, mandated by the FY2026 NDAA, borrows commercial shipbuilding practices to accelerate construction. TOTE will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one LSM) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four LSMs), with a strategy for the remaining three vessels to be determined. Construction begins later this year, with the first LSM delivery expected in fall 2029. The LSMs, based on Damen Naval's LST-100 design already used by Nigeria and Australia, are part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative. The ships are approximately 100 meters long, can beach themselves, carry over 800 tons of cargo, and have a range of 3,400 nautical miles.
Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) aimed at potential Indo-Pacific conflicts with China. The LSMs, measuring around 100 meters, are designed for agile island-hopping operations. Under the FY2026 NDAA, Congress mandated the Navy use an external VCM to accelerate construction by adopting commercial shipbuilding practices. TOTE will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one LSM) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four LSMs), with a strategy for three additional vessels. Construction begins in 2026, with the first delivery in fall 2029. The LSMs are part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative. The design is based on Damen Naval's LST-100, already used by the Nigerian Navy and selected by Australia in 2024.
Navy Awards TOTE $2.2 Billion to Manage Medium Landing Ship Construction
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management contract to TOTE Services LLC for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program, aimed at supporting Marine Corps operations in the Indo-Pacific. The contract, mandated by the FY2026 NDAA, tasks TOTE with managing subcontracts for up to eight vessels. Bollinger Shipyards will build one LSM, Fincantieri Marinette Marine will build four, and TOTE will determine the award strategy for the remaining three. Construction begins later this year, with the first delivery expected in fall 2029. The LSMs, based on Damen Naval's LST-100 design, are approximately 100 meters long, can beach themselves, and carry over 800 tons of cargo. The program is part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative to modernize the Navy with new manned and unmanned vessels.
Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management contract to TOTE Services LLC for the construction of Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) under the Marine Corps' island-hopping strategy for potential Indo-Pacific conflicts. The contract covers up to eight vessels, with Bollinger Shipyards building one and Fincantieri Marinette Marine building four; TOTE will determine the award strategy for the remaining three. Construction begins in 2026, with the first LSM delivery scheduled for fall 2029. The LSMs are based on Damen Naval's proven LST-100 design, already used by Nigeria and selected by Australia. The program is part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative and aims to accelerate shipbuilding through commercial practices.
Navy awards TOTE $2.2 billion to manage Medium Landing Ships project
The U.S. Navy awarded a $2.2 billion Vessel Construction Management (VCM) contract to TOTE Services LLC for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program, aimed at supporting Marine Corps operations in the Indo-Pacific. The contract covers construction of up to eight vessels, with Bollinger Shipyards building one and Fincantieri Marinette Marine building four; TOTE will determine the award strategy for the remaining three. Construction begins in 2026, with the first LSM delivery expected in fall 2029. The LSMs are based on Damen Naval's LST-100 design, already in use by the Nigerian Navy and selected by Australia. The program is part of President Trump's 'Golden Fleet' initiative and uses commercial shipbuilding practices to accelerate delivery.
TOTE Services wins $2.2bn US Navy contract for Medium Landing Ship program management
TOTE Services has been awarded a $2.2 billion contract by the US Navy to serve as Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) for the new Medium Landing Ships (LSM) program. The initiative aims to deliver a 35-ship fleet to bridge the capability gap between smaller landing craft and larger amphibious ships. Under the contract, TOTE Services will manage subcontracts with Bollinger Shipyards (one LSM) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four LSMs), with options for up to three additional vessels in the first phase. The first LSM delivery is expected in autumn 2029. The US Navy's VCM strategy, which reduced traditional contracting timelines by nearly 50%, leverages commercial practices to improve cost, schedule, and performance. TOTE Services will collaborate with partners including Leidos Gibbs & Cox, The McHenry Management Group, MAD Security, and Damen. The program supports Marine Corps distributed operations by enhancing littoral mobility and logistics.
U.S. Navy awards $2.2 billion contract to TOTE Services for new Medium Landing Ships
The U.S. Navy has awarded TOTE Services, a Florida-based shipping company, a $2.2 billion contract to manage the construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships (LSM) for the Marine Corps. Announced on July 13, 2026, this is the first time the Navy has used a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) model, giving TOTE direct control over coordinating shipyards, suppliers, and designers. The ships, based on a Dutch-designed LST-100 hull, will displace about 4,000 tonnes and carry 250 Marines, supporting the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept for Pacific island-hopping warfare. Construction will occur at Bollinger Shipyards (lead vessel) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine (four additional ships), with flexibility for the remaining three. The VCM model was mandated by Congress in the FY2026 defense authorization act to stabilize the program after a previous procurement attempt failed due to high costs. TOTE previously used this model for the Maritime Administration's National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program.