Massachusetts Maritime Academy has welcomed its new training vessel, Patriot State, to Buzzards Bay. This arrival signifies a major milestone in the US Maritime Administration’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) programme aimed at enhancing maritime training and disaster response capabilities.
Delivered by Philly Shipyard in September, Patriot State, of around 18,000 gross tons, is the second of five state-of-the-art training ships commissioned for the five state maritime academies in the US. The NSMV programme, led by the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), is designed to provide training for future mariners and support humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
Patriot State replaces the Academy’s previous training ship, Kennedy, which was transferred to Texas A&M Maritime Academy in 2023. The new ship is