MARAD Orders Training Ship Empire State to Sail Next Week

In an open letter to the SUNY Maritime College community, Rear Admiral John Okon, President of the Maritime College, reported today that the Maritime Administration has now issued a sailing order for SUNY’s training ship, Empire State. It comes a month after it was reported that the vessel was being activated by MARAD for federal service.

The training ship is ordered to depart the Maritime College campus in the Bronx, New York, on September 30. The vessel is proceeding to Norfolk, Virginia, where it is scheduled to arrive on October 1. It is expected to stay in Virginia through October 30, in preparation for follow-on operations supporting the U.S. Navy.

“The ship will stay in Norfolk in an extended MARAD Maintenance and Repair Activation for certification of the flight deck,” Okon reports. No additional details have been confirmed on the role the vessel will be playing, although it has been rumored that it would be proceeding to Diego Garcia.

Okon acknowledged in the letter that there are questions and concerns about the ship being away from the college’s campus at Fort Schuyler during the academic year. It normally serves as a training platform for the cadets while it is at the dock and also performs training cruises. The ship is designed with a full training bridge and classrooms, with accommodations for up to 600 cadets, teachers, and ship personnel.

“Maritime College recognizes that Empire State is a federal vessel and understands the importance of supporting our nation’s requirements. Our institution has always answered the call when our country and our fellow citizens need us, and we are proud that Empire State is capable of supporting national missions,” he writes. However, he notes, “The decision to deploy Empire State was made by the Maritime Administrator in support of a national mission. It was not a decision made by SUNY, the College, or the College administration.”

The college continues to work through the implications of the deployment and the time Empire State will be away from its campus. The key concern, however, appears to be the Summer Sea Term, a required part of the cadet’s education. MARAD told the college in August that it anticipates a notional mission duration of approximately 170 days.

“I have been very clear with MARAD, and remain on record, that Empire State needs to return to campus on or about February 12, 2027, to keep SST 2027 on schedule,” writes Okon.

The Empire State was the first of five NSMVs (National Security Multi-Mission Vessel) built under a program sponsored by MARAD to provide modern training vessels to the state maritime colleges. Four of the vessels, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and recently Texas, have been commissioned, while the vessel of California is completing outfitting.

The ships were designed to support federal missions and humanitarian relief as well as their primary role as training ships. They were designed with a Ro-Ro ramp, cargo crane, and the ability to handle containers, as well as a helicopter deck. They are about 8,500 dwt or 26,000 gross tons. The ships are 160 meters (525 feet) in length and have a top speed of 18 knots.

SUNY notes that other than the vessel’s training cruises, this will be the first time it has been away from the campus since it was handed over in 2023.