Fincantieri Marinette Marine awarded $30 million for first four Navy medium landing ships

Fincantieri Marinette Marine has received a $30 million contract from the US Navy for long lead time materials and production-readiness activities for the first four Medium Landing Ship vessels. The award accelerates the LSM program under the Navy's new Vessel Construction Manager model, with construction start targeted for Q4 2026.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine has been awarded a $30 million contract by the US Navy to begin work on the first four Medium Landing Ship vessels under the Navy's new acquisition framework, according to an official announcement. The award supports immediate procurement of long lead time materials and critical industrial production-readiness activities, enabling a construction start as early as the fourth quarter of 2026. The LSM program supports the Marine Corps' force design for distributed operations and enhanced littoral mobility in contested environments.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine is a US-based shipbuilder and subsidiary of Fincantieri, a global shipbuilding group. Over the past decade, Fincantieri has committed more than $800 million to its US shipyards, transforming them into advanced production networks. The Vessel Construction Manager model applies commercial best practices, parallel production, and disciplined industrial execution. Within the initial production phase, FMM is designated to build at least four vessels, reinforcing its central industrial role in the program.

This development matters for the US naval shipbuilding sector, where the Navy is reshaping acquisition to accelerate delivery of critical platforms. The LSM enables rapid maneuver and sustainment of forces in contested environments, making it a foundational element of fleet modernisation.

For the maritime defence industry, the contract demonstrates Fincantieri's ability to support multiple naval programs concurrently. Stakeholders including equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and the American maritime industrial base stand to benefit from sustained production. The company employs approximately 3,000 US workers across the Midwest and Florida.