Shipbuilding process will be expedited with USDOT’s proven vessel commercial management model and funded by President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut Act
PHILADELPHIA, PA – U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought today announced a $2 billion investment from the Working Families Tax Cut Act to build two new military ships at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard as part of President Trump’s Executive Order to Restore America’s Maritime Dominance .
The two new military ships – known as Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIV) – will replace two 50-year-old ships in the Department of War’s Missile Defense Agency fleet. In building these state of the art vessels, the Trump Administration is equipping our military with advanced tracking capabilities to observe missile interception tests over the Pacific Ocean, gather mission-critical data, and support range safety operations.
“What an incredible day for the nation’s maritime industry. In christening the Lone Star State, we are sending a message that the next generation of maritime leaders are worth investing in,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “I want to also thank Director Vought for his leadership in spearheading the President’s Maritime Dominance objectives. These two new vessels – built by American patriots in the city our nation was founded in – will equip our military to better protect the nation and our servicemembers from foreign threats. Our Department will continue its work to rekindle America’s maritime heritage and build ships at the Speed of Trump.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, a new era of American Maritime Dominance and reindustrialization is finally well underway,” said White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought. “This administration has embarked on a whole-of-government effort to make shipbuilding great again, which is already bearing fruit. It’s an honor to represent the administration today along with Secretary Duffy, who is doing great work steering the Department of Transportation’s key role in this effort.”
“The Maritime Administration’s proven vessel construction management model has a powerful track record of delivering critical maritime assets on time and on budget,” said Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel. “We are honored to collaborate across the maritime sector to ensure America’s maritime dominance for generations to come.”
The announcement came as the pair celebrated the christening of the Department of Transportation’s fourth national security multi-mission vessel (NSMV) – Lone Star State – which will train the next generation of merchant mariners at Texas A&M Maritime Academy.
TOTE Services has been tapped to manage the shipbuilding process under the vessel construction management model. They have already delivered four NSMVs on time and on budget to the Department’s Maritime Administration and are scheduled to deliver a fifth one in 2027. Both MRIVs will be constructed at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and the first one is slated for delivery by June 2030.
Additional Information on NSMVs:
The Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) NSMVs provide a state-of-the-art training facility for 600 cadets studying at one of the U.S. maritime academies. NMSV can also be used during emergencies and natural disasters-offering room for 1,000 first responders. The fifth and final NSMV-the Golden State-will be delivered to California’s Cal Poly Maritime Academy in summer 2027.
Under Secretary Duffy, MARAD is delivering crucial resources to the maritime industry by:
- Investing $35 million in America’s small shipyards-a 300% increase in funding for 2026-to build big, beautiful ships at the Speed of Trump.
- Cutting red tape to streamline environmental review processes for deepwater ports to help unleash American energy.
- Delivering nearly $1 billion in funding to upgrade America’s ports and keep our nation’s economy moving.