Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) welcomed the arrival of the training ship Patriot State on Oct. 10, and accepted custody of the ship from the United States Maritime Administration (Marad) at a ceremony held on Oct. 11. During the ceremony, Rear Admiral Ann Phillips, Marad Administrator, officially signed the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) over to the Academy and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) is designed to provide a state-of-the-art training platform that ensures the U.S. continues to set the world standard in maritime training, an MMA press release said. The ship is outfitted with numerous training spaces, including eight classrooms, a full training bridge, lab spaces and an auditorium. The NSMV has space to train up to 600 cadets at sea, maximizing the capability of the ship and its mission to provide cadets with a world-class education.
“Make no mistake about it, the NSMV program is the envy of the maritime world,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “These amazing vessels will train the next generation of mariners, and the next generation or two after that.”
“They will directly impact today’s mariner shortage, helping our nation’s economy in times of peace and our nation’s ability to project force abroad in times of conflict. And they will stand at the ready to support those who have fallen in harm’s way as they are deployed in emergency response,” added Admiral McDonald. “This is an amazing day for Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the maritime industry, and the nation.”
Philly Shipyard recently completed the TS Patriot State, which will replace Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s previous training ship, TS Kennedy, a 1967 converted cargo vessel. This delivery is the second of five training ships the Philly Shipyard has been commissioned by Marad to build. The first, TS Empire State, was delivered to SUNY Maritime College in New York in the fall of 2023. This initiative is part of Marad’s effort to modernize an aging training fleet with new purpose-built NSMVs that not only enhance the training capabilities of the nation’s maritime academies but also serve as critical assets for federal support during times of need. Each vessel is constructed to adhere to the highest current and future environmental standards, the press release said.
Numerous federal, state, and local legislators were on hand during the Oct. 11 welcoming ceremony, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Congressman William Keating, former Deputy Marad Administrator Richard Balzano, and State Representatives Mathew Muratore, Patrick Kearney, and Steven Xiarhos.
Additionally, Chair of the Board of Trustees of MMA Brian Connor read a proclamation from Governor Maura Healey that declared Oct. 11 as “Patriot State” Day in the Commonwealth.
“The marine industry represents 90% of our global trade, and in the U.S. represents 650,000 jobs,” added Congressman Keating. “This ship, and this program, ensures we have what we need to stay competitive and excel worldwide.”
The arrival took place in conjunction with the Academy’s hosting of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) annual conference, attended by over 200 representatives from maritime universities worldwide.
The Patriot State is 525’ long, has a depth of 55’1”, and a range of 10,000+ miles at 18 knots. It has diesel electric propulsion with 16,800 kW of total installed power plus a 900 kW emergency generator. Full speed is 18 knots.
