USNI News is reporting Shipyards here and in Mississippi will build the first new naval vessels under the Trump administration’s push to revamp military shipbuilding.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine will join Bollinger Shipyards in constructing the Marine Corps’ Landing Ship Medium.

Naval Sea Systems Command is asking for proposals for a vessel construction manager that will run the shipbuilding program that’s key to the Marine Corps’ island-hopping strategy in the Pacific.

According to a Navy News Release “For initial production, the Navy will direct the to-be-named Vessel Construction Manager to manage LSM construction at two shipyards.

“Bollinger Shipyards was awarded a contract to support Landing Ship Medium long lead time procurement and lead ship engineering design activities in September 2025.  The Navy says Fincantieri will build four ships,” “The VCM will then have the ability to decide the best strategy for awarding the remaining three ships authorized under the base contract.”

The McClung-class Landing Ship Mediums will be based off of Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s LST-100 design.

The Navy last year cancelled the Constellation-class frigate program that had been underway at Fincantieri Marinette Marine since 2020. The terms of the cancellation would allow the local shipyard to continue building the first two ships in the class already under construction but cancelled the next four.  Now, with the Landing Ship Medium program, Marinette has work to fill the void of those four cancelled frigates.