MARAD Cancels Deployment, Training Ship Empire State Returns to SUNY

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) notified SUNY Maritime College, in Fort Schuyler, that it is canceling the federal deployment of training ship Empire State VII and that the vessel will return to the institution. The decision became known three weeks after the ship arrived in Virginia to prepare for a government mission.

The change of plans was communicated by the college to its community on October 21. SUNY Maritime College President Rear Admiral John A. Okon said the ship is expected to return to the Fort Schuyler campus for academic use and work aboard, with watches set to resume by mid-November at the latest, although an exact arrival date has not yet been given. Okon called the news welcome and noted that the ship is an essential part of cadets' maritime experience.

Empire State VII had departed New York for Norfolk, Virginia, on September 30, expected to remain there until October 30 for maintenance and repair work, including flight deck certification, before moving on to support operations for the U.S. Navy. MARAD did not publicly detail the mission, although a spokesperson had indicated in August that the Navy, the Military Sealift Command and MARAD were evaluating options to increase sealift capacity for mariners and civilian mariners supporting naval operations in the Indo-Pacific. It was also reported that the ship had been spotted at General Dynamics NASSCO's facility in Portsmouth, among reserve fleet vessels and a destroyer, and that rumors circulated that it might have sailed toward Diego Garcia.

According to MARAD, this would have been the first time a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) was activated to support national security missions. Empire State VII was delivered by Philly Shipyard (now Hanwha Philly) in 2023 as the first of five NSMVs, has a length overall of 160.05 meters, a service speed of 18 knots, and capacity to train up to 600 cadets at sea. The college's 1,150-cadet regiment uses the ship for classes or training, and Okon had asked MARAD to return the vessel by around February 12, 2027, so as not to affect the summer sea term.

The ship, also designed for government support with a dual humanitarian assistance role, normally houses about 600 people but can be outfitted for close to 1,000 and has a full hospital on board. This was the first activation of this type of vessel since deliveries to state maritime academies began: Massachusetts, Maine and, most recently, Texas have already received their ships, while the unit destined for California is still under construction in Philadelphia.