The new "Landing Ship Medium" which will be built for the U.S. Navy. (Image courtesy U.S. Navy)
MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Fincantieri Marinette Marine will build at least four ships for the U.S. Navy’s new Medium Landing Ship (LSM), according to a U.S. Navy release.
The ships will be used for transporting marines, supplies and equipment, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. LSMs are mid-size vessels that fill the gap between smaller landing crafts and large warships.
In December, the Navy ended the Constellation frigate program, thus canceling the remaining four ships that were supposed to be built in Marinette. This eventually led to shipbuilder laying off nearly 100 workers.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine released a statement saying:
As you may have seen in NAVSEA’s press release, the U.S. Navy tapped Fincantieri to build four of the first wave of Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) for the Marine Corps. Our $1B investment over the last 18 years to create concurrent production lines across our Wisconsin system of shipyards has positioned us to be a prime player in the American shipbuilding renaissance. his announcement represents a good start of follow-on workload, part of the framework agreed with the Navy to ensure stability following the announcement in November. Details are still being worked out between us and the Navy, and we will communicate any developments, as soon as they solidify. Our intent is to quickly build as many vessels as the Navy will trust us with, in the LSM class and other classes that our Armed Forces require, to contribute to our Nation’s needs.
Fincantieri says there was is no timeline in place for when work on the LSMs may begin, but the news of major shipbuilding returning to Fincantieri has Wisconsin lawmakers excited.
Rep. Tony Wied, R-8th District, said Fincantieri building these vessels for the Navy is a win for our area.
“It’s great for the economy. It’s great for Northeastern Wisconsin. And that’s why I’ve been working so hard with the White House and with Fincantieri to ensure that we keep the shipbuilding industry stable right here in Northeastern Wisconsin,” Wied said.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin said in a statement:
This whole fiasco started because President Trump cut the frigate program and turned his back on Wisconsin workers who have produced world-class ships and protected our country for decades. I am proud to have secured funding and commitments from the Navy to stave off some of the worst for Wisconsin workers and companies, but we are still not made whole. I’ll continue to fight to ensure the Trump Administration builds more ships in Wisconsin, supports our workers and economy, and keeps our country safe.
The Navy issued a request for proposal for a vessel construction manager (VCM) to oversee the project.
“For initial production, the Navy will direct the VCM to manage LSM construction at two shipyards: Bollinger Shipyards and Fincantieri Marinette Marine. Bollinger Shipyards was awarded a contract to support LSM long lead time procurement and lead ship engineering design activities in September 2025; Fincantieri will execute LSM work to 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 U.S. Navy news release states.
The Marine Corps would eventually like to have 35 vessels of this type.
The Navy describes the LSM as such:
The LSM will fill the capability gap between smaller, short-range landing craft and the Navy’s long-duration, multi-purpose amphibious warfare ships. It is essential for the maneuver and sustainment of Marine forces, providing the critical littoral mobility required in contested environments. The program will deliver a 35-ship fleet that enhances expeditionary agility and supports the Marine Corps’ concept of distributed maneuver and logistics.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about this deal, including what the timeline is for the project, what economic or job impact this will have on Marinette and if this will lead to future shipbuilding projects with the Navy.
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