Steel Cut on First NSMV at Philly Shipyard

Illustration of the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel that will serve as SUNY Maritime College’s new training ship starting in 2022. Image Credit: SUNY Maritime College

Steel Cut on First NSMV at Philly Shipyard

Mike SchulerTotal Views: 5993 December 15, 2020

Steel has been cut on the first National Security Multi-Mission vessel marking the official start of construction at Philly Shipyard.

The NSMVs will be the first state-of-the-art training vessels for the Nation’s state maritime academies. The first NSMV has been allocated to the State University of New York’s Maritime College, replacing the Empire State VI.

TOTE Services is acting at the vessel’ Vessel Construction Manager. In April it selected Philly Shipyard to construct the first two ships with options for up to three additional ships. The contract award, said to be valued at around $630 million, is a huge win for Philly Shipyard as it transitions to “grey hulls” after its Jones Act shipbuilding backlog fell to zero in early 2019. Construction of the NSMV is expected to support more than 1,200 direct shipyard jobs in Philadelphia.

“This is a tremendous honor and recognition of our history of building high quality ships over the last 17 years. This project begins a new chapter in our history, a new customer and the first in series, which is a challenge we are eager to meet. I am confident that our workforce will deliver ships that the state academy cadets will be proud to sail for many years to come.”

TOTE Services is working with its design partners Glosten, Inc., Philly Shipyard, and Philly Shipyard’s subcontractors, including Daewoo Ship Engineering Company. Delivery of the first NSMV is scheduled in early 2023.

As part of the contract, Philly Shipyard will be working with domestic mills to supply steel for the vessels and U.S. manufacturers to provide key ship equipment, including GE Wabtec, a part of GE Transportation, which is manufacturing the engines and generators, GE Transportation for the main generator engine, Cummins USA for the emergency generator set, and Bronswerk for the air conditioning systems.

A New Day for the American Merchant Marine: The Philly Shipyard and National Security Multi-Mission Vessels

The purpose-built NSMV will feature instructional spaces, a full training bridge, and have space for up to 600 cadets. Each ship will also be equipped for humanitarian and disaster relief, with hospital facilities, a helicopter pad, and the ability to accommodate up to 1,000 people in times of humanitarian need. The vessels will also provide needed roll-on/roll-off and container storage capacity for use during disaster relief missions.

TOTE Services has so far placed firm orders for two ships and plans to order a third ship in 2021. The first two NSMVs will replace the current training ships at SUNY Maritime Academy and Massachusetts Maritime Academy.