Steel Cut on Second National Security Multi-Mission Vessel at Philly Shipyard

Philly Shipyard has started construction of the second National Security Multi-Mission Vessel.

A brief steel cutting ceremony was held at the yard earlier this month with representatives from Philly Shipyard, TOTE Services, and U.S. Maritime Administration in attendance.

The steel cutting for NSMV II follows the start of construction on the first NSMV in December.

The purpose-built NSMVs will serve as state-of-the-art training vessels for the nation’s maritime academies. The vessels 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.

Philly Shipyard was awarded the contract to construct up to five NSMVs by the program’s vessel construction manager, TOTE Services, in April 2020. The initial order called for construction of the first two ships in the series. A subsequent order in January 2021 authorized TOTE to execute a subsequent second order for the third and fourth ships in the five-ship series.

If all five ships are ordered and built in sequence, then the total contract value of the five-ship program would be approximately $1.5 billion.

The first NSMV has a target delivery in early 2023 and will allocated to the State University of New York’s Maritime College, replacing the Empire State VI. NSMV II is bound for Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

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