Keel Laying Ceremony Conducted for Fifth, Final U.S. Training Ship
Work officially began with the next milestone on the fifth and final vessel in the Maritime Administration’s program to provide state-of-the-art training ships to the state-run maritime academies. The grand block for the fifth vessel, which has been assigned to the California State University Maritime Academy, was placed into the dry dock to begin assembly of the ship.
The orders for the vessels began in 2020 using the Vessel Construction Manager acquisition model where MARAD retained TOTE Services to manage the construction of the vessels and Philly Shipyard (now Hanwha Philly Shipyard) received the orders. The fifth vessel was added to the contract in April 2022. Philly Shipyard at the time said the fifth vessel was valued at approximately $300 million, bringing the total order intake under the contract for the five-ship program would be approximately $1.5 billion.
"California State University Maritime Academy is honored to be part of a distinguished fleet of purpose-built training ships, each designed to meet the evolving needs of America's maritime education while also providing the U.S. with ships that can support disaster response and other critical national needs," said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Michael J. Dumont, Interim President of Cal Maritime. "This vessel stands as a testament to innovation, resilience, and the nation's unwavering commitment to preparing the next generation of mariners. It will be proudly operated by the crew, cadets, and faculty of the only state maritime academy on the West Coast."
The program is known as the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV). The ships were designed to provide a modern training facility replacing outdated vessels used for the training programs. The training facilities include classrooms and a fully equipped bridge as well as a modern diesel power plant versus the steam plants that many of the previous training ships employed. The vessels are also able to handle a container, have RoRo capabilities, and can also be used for disaster relief.
Hanwha, which acquired the shipyard at the end of 2024 and looks to expand its U.S. government work highlights the speed of the construction program. They note that all five vessels’ keels were laid over the past 39 months. TOTE highlights that it is a demonstration of the efficiency of the contracting model.
Each of the vessels is 525 feet (160 meters) in length and is designed with a range of over 10,000 miles at 18 knots. They accommodate 600 students and teachers and can accommodate up to 1,000 people on their humanitarian missions. The vessels also have a full hospital and helipad to support the humanitarian deployments.
The first and second NSMVs, Empire State and Patriot State, were delivered in September 2023 and 2024. Both have now undertaken their first training voyages as they settle in at SUNY Maritime College in New York and Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
The three remaining vessels are currently in various stages of construction at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. The State of Maine is in the final stages of outfitting and will be delivered later this year for the Maine Maritime Academy. The fourth vessel, Lone Star State, completed block assembly in October 2024 will be at Texas A&M Maritime Academy and the California vessel, Golden State, is tentatively scheduled for delivery in late 2026.