U.S. Navy To Build First 160-Meter Missile-Tracking Ship For Pacific Defense Tests

The U.S. Navy will get its first next-generation missile-tracking ships by 2030, as an agreement for their construction has been signed between Hanwha Philly Shipyard and TOTE Services.

TOTE Services will manage the construction on behalf of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD while Hanwha Shipyard would handle the shipbuilding process, marking an important step in modernising the country’s missile tracking and testing abilities.

The first Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel (MSRV), named Golden Defender, would enable the Navy to replace its old missile range instrumentation ships.

The new ship would replace Pacific Collector and Pacific Tracker, which have undertaken missile testing and tracking for decades. The vessels, built in 1965 and 1970, are reaching the end of their service lives and require extensive maintenance cycles.

The design of the missile-trackers is based on the National Security Mission Vessels, or the NSMV, constructed at Hanwha Philly Shipyard under the oversight of TOTE Services.

This means there would be no delays, and the construction process would be faster and more reliable, an official release said.

This approach also cuts acquisition costs by 50%, compared to conventional government strategies, as it defines requirements upfront and approves change orders beforehand.

The project can follow a schedule, and the vessel is delivered on time, as it eliminates design changes midway or the addition of new requirements.

The vessels will be built using the active production line and the current supply chain with the assistance of the yard’s skilled and experienced workforce that has already been associated with the NSMV Project.

The program has transformed the facility into a national defense asset employing over 2000 people, as new jobs have been created as the U.S. strives to build its shipbuilding capabilities.

MSRVs are specialised vessels with advanced trackers and equipment to collect and relay information in missile tests, in areas where the land-based laboratories cannot offer coverage.

TOTE Services is a company based in Florida that has supported several government vessel projects and helped strengthen American maritime capabilities.

It is partnering with Hanwha Philly Shipyard on this project to equip the U.S. with missile-tracking ships, which would become an important part of the fleet as new naval threats emerge.