Philly Shipyard cuts steel for Cal Maritime NSMV

The ceremonial start of constructionof Cal Maritime NSMV was carried out using Philly Shipyard’s plasma cutting machine. [Photo: Philly Shipyard]

Philly Shipyard held a ceremony February 11 to mark the cutting of steel for the fifth National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) destined for California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) in Vallejo, Calif. The ceremonial start of construction occurred at Philly Shipyard’s plasma cutting machine as the button was pressed to start the plasma steel cutting process.

This marked the last steel cutting ceremony for the five contracted vessels slated to be constructed for the program. The NSMV program is designed to provide purpose-built, state-of-the-art training platforms for five state maritime academies in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Texas, and California, respectively. In addition to providing best-in-class training for America’s future mariners, the five NSMVs will be available to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need. The fifth vessel is contracted for delivery in 2026 to the Academy in California.

In May 2019, MARAD awarded TOTE Services a contract to be the Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) for the NSMV program. Since then, says TOTE, the VCM contract structure has proven to be an effective model in which the government benefits from commercial best practices to design and construct vessels that are built by union labor in a U.S. shipyard with U.S.-made steel and U.S.-made engines.

“We’ve reached a historic milestone with the cutting of steel for this ship that will be used to train future cadets at the California State University Maritime Academy,” said TOTE Services president Jeff Dixon. “We’re grateful for the widespread, bipartisan support the NSMV program has received to help make this significant investment in the U.S. maritime industry possible.”

“We are proud to welcome California State University Maritime Academy to our shipyard to celebrate the start of construction of its new training vessel, together,” said Steinar Nerbovik, president and CEO of Philly Shipyard. “This is a special moment and major milestone in their history, and for the NSMV program, and it is a significant moment for Philly Shipyard. Thank you to our partners, suppliers and advocates for your support, and thank you to all of the shipbuilders who will support bringing this vessel to life for Cal Maritime.”

“This moment represents the culmination of efforts from across our university community, industry partners, congressional delegation and many others who have been instrumental in pushing this forward,” said Michael J. Dumont, interim president of California State University Maritime Academy. “We appreciate those in Congress and the U.S. Maritime Administration for recognizing Cal Maritime’s contributions to addressing the nation’s critical needs. NSMV V will undoubtedly aid in our mission of serving as a leading educational institution recognized for academic excellence and unique maritime training opportunities in California, the Pacific Rim and beyond. We also extend our thanks to the employees of Philly Shipyard and TOTE Services in making this remarkable vessel a reality.”

Construction of four of the vessels is well underway, following the delivery of NSMV I, Empire State, to SUNY Maritime College in September 2023. NSMV II, Patriot State, is undergoing testing and commissioning, NSMV III, State of Maine, is preparing for launch, and, following its keel laying on December 6, NSMV IV, Lone Star State, has had engines installed in its engine room units.