US to build Golden Dome missile tracking ships using 50% cheaper acquisition model

United States is moving ahead with plans to build a new generation of missile range instrumentation vessels that will support the Missile Defense Agency and the country’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative. TOTE Services and Hanwha Philly Shipyard have been selected to deliver the new Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels, or MRIVs. Under the program, TOTE Services will act as vessel construction manager, while Hanwha Philly Shipyard will construct the ships at its Philadelphia facility. The vessels will replace Pacific Tracker and Pacific Collector, two aging ships currently used to support missile range instrumentation missions. The ships entered service after being built in 1965 and 1970, respectively. The first new MRIV, named Golden Defender, is scheduled for delivery in 2030. The contract comes as the US government places greater emphasis on rebuilding domestic shipbuilding capacity and strengthening the maritime industrial base. Speaking during the christening ceremony for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel Lone Star State, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced the Golden Defender project. “It is thus my honor to announce the awarding of a contract to build the newest Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel ‘Golden Defender’ right here in Philadelphia under the combined management of Hanwha Philly and TOTE Services as the vessel construction manager” he said. “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,” Vought continued. The MRIV project will be carried out as an interagency effort involving the Department of Transportation, Department of War, and Missile Defense Agency. Proven vessel design to reduce risk TOTE Services and Hanwha Philly Shipyard plan to draw heavily on experience gained through the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program for the US Maritime Administration. That five-vessel program has already delivered three ships. A fourth vessel, Lone Star State, has been christened and is expected to be delivered in the coming months, while the fifth ship is scheduled for completion in mid-2027. For the MRIV program, Hanwha will use the existing hull form, production processes, supply chain, and workforce already established at its Philadelphia yard. “MRIV engineering and construction will make immediate progress from day one, as we are carrying forward the production processes and lessons learned from NSMV, which lowers cost, schedule, and performance risk,” said Chris Clark, Vice President of New Construction, TOTE Services. According to the companies, the vessel construction management model can reduce acquisition costs by at least 50 percent compared with traditional government procurement approaches. The model relies on requirements being defined earlier in the process and changes being approved more quickly, with the aim of reducing delays and ensuring vessels are ready for their missions upon delivery. Philadelphia yard expands defense role The MRIV program will also add new defense-related work to Hanwha Philly Shipyard. The companies said the NSMV program helped transform the facility from a largely dormant shipyard employing only a few dozen workers into a site with more than 2,000 production workers. Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.