Courtney Welcomes Official Start of Construction on New NSMV Vessel as Keel Laying Ceremony Takes Place in Philadelphia, PA

NORWICH, CT—Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, welcomed the official start of construction on a new block of American-made ships that will recapitalize U.S. domestic sealift and maritime response capabilities. The U.S. Maritime Administration's (MARAD) newest National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) represents a recapitalization in domestic sealift and maritime response capabilities, and will provide more resources to the pipeline needed to train mariners to crew commercial and government-owned sealift ships during times of crises.

This morning, the official Keel Laying Ceremony was held for the new vessel, NSMV 1 (Empire State), as the workforce at Philly Shipyard, Inc. prepare to begin construction on the first of four new vessels. The work is an example of the economic benefits of "Made in America" shipbuilding—it will support thousands of high-paying jobs, and construction was initiated and authorized specifically by Chairman Courtney and the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. In 2016, Courtney and the Seapower Subcommittee provided the first-ever authorization for MARAD to construct the new NSMV ships.

"When Mike Alfultis from SUNY Maritime first came to my office to raise the pressing need to recapitalize our state training ship fleet, it was clear that this was an unprecedented opportunity not just to bolster our maritime workforce but to revitalize our domestic shipbuilding," Chairman Courtney said. "Today's milestone is a culmination of that effort—from the initial work that we did on the Seapower Subcommittee to establish this program in law and the work done since to get it funded and started. The laying of a keel is an important milestone for any ship—but today's event stands as an exciting demonstration of how sensible policy can breathe new life and new opportunity into our domestic maritime and shipbuilding industry."

"As we look to further shipbuilding needs, particularly in our auxiliary and sealift fleets, I believe that the model we've started at the Philly Shipyard will only be the start," Chairman Courtney added. "Our nation faces increasingly urgent gaps in providing the sealift, logistics and at-sea support needed to support our maritime requirements—and our subcommittee will remain laser-focused on this priority."


Background

The new NSMV ships are critical to recapitalizing America's domestic sealift and maritime response capabilities. MARAD and State Maritime Academies alike have sounded the alarm about a looming shortage of qualified officers and mariners needed to crew commercial and government-owned sealift ships during crises, and these new vessels will serve as purpose-built training platforms for MARAD to replace the academies' aging fleet.

In 2016, Rep. Courtney and the House Seapower Subcommittee provided the first-ever authorization for MARAD to construct new NSMV ships, and last year Chairman Courtney's provision to reject a 30% cut to the NSMV program was included in the final FY 2021 NDAA. In January, Courtney announced that MARAD has decided to utilize that funding, as well as his 2016 authorization, to add construction of two additional NSMV ships into their shipbuilding plans. The four new NSMV ships will replace aging vessels in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.

In March, MARAD published a study on the economic importance of the U.S. private shipbuilding and repair industry. According to their research, ‘Made in America' shipbuilding has resulted in private shipyards in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware contributing more than $2 billion annually to local area economies, supporting nearly 16,000 local jobs.

In July, Chairman Courtney joined Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) to help lead a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Representatives on a visit to Philly Shipyard, Inc., to meet with shipbuilders and engineers, and to survey the shipyard's readiness to take on the new work. "Without the work being performed right now at this historic shipyard, our nation would soon be facing a dangerous shortage of qualified mariners to crew commercial and government-owned sealift ships during crises," Courtney said at the time. "For the city of Philadelphia, the NSMV program—which is funded by the U.S. Maritime Administration—means good, high-paying jobs, which the shipbuilding sector provides."

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