TOTE Services, MARAD’s Vessel Construction Manager for its National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, has commissioned Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania to build the first two NSMV training ships with options for an additional three. The multi-mission vessels will be owned and operated by MARAD and serve as maritime training ships for the nation’s maritime academies as well as emergency vessels capable of providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support.
The first ship, due to be delivered in the spring of 2023, will be used by New York’s SUNY Maritime College to replace the 52-year-old Empire State VI, a modified C4 freighter completed for defunct States Lines in 1962. The second will be delivered in the winter 2023 and, like the first, will be equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities, to include dual engine rooms and pilot houses, along with space to train and accommodate up to 600 cadets.
In addition, the NSMVs will feature modern hospital facilities, a helicopter pad and the ability to accommodate up to 1,000 people in times of humanitarian need.
