Vessel construction managers for the construction of certain Navy vessels

(a) Medium Landing Ships (1) In general After the award of the lead ship of the Medium Landing Ship program, the Secretary of the Navy shall seek to enter into an agreement with an appropriate vessel construction manager pursuant to which the vessel construction manager shall seek to enter into one or more contracts for the construction of not more than 8 additional landing ships under the program. (2) Requirements for additional ships The additional landing ships authorized to be constructed under paragraph (1) shall be nondevelopmental items constructed using a design that is— (A) the same as the design of the lead ship; or (B) derived from such design. (3) Lead ship defined In this subsection, the term lead ship means the first landing ship procured as a commercial or nondevelopmental item as authorized under section 128(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Public Law 118–159; 138 Stat. 1807). (b) Light replenishment oilers The Secretary of the Navy shall seek to enter into an agreement with an appropriate vessel construction manager pursuant to which the vessel construction manager shall seek to enter into one or more contracts for the construction of light replenishment oilers (TAO–L). (c) Auxiliary and support vessels The Secretary of the Navy may enter into agreements with an appropriate vessel construction manager pursuant to which the vessel construction manager shall seek to enter into one or more contracts for the construction of any auxiliary vessel or support vessel of the Department of the Navy. (d) Design standards and construction practices The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure that vessels procured through subsections (b) and (c) by the Secretary are, to the maximum extent practicable, constructed using commercial design standards and commercial construction practices that are consistent with the best interests of the Federal Government.