Philly Shipyard Cuts Steel for Second NSMV
Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.
(Photo: Philly Shipyard)
Philly Shipyard on Wednesday marked the start of fabrication for the second of five planned National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV). The purpose-built, state-of-the-art training ships will be used by America’s state maritime academies.
The first steel plates cut by the yard’s state-of-the-art plasma cutting machine will be later joined into a double bottom, mid-ship section.
The occasion was marked by a brief steel cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Philly Shipyard, TOTE Services and U.S. DOT Maritime Administration (MARAD).
Following the initial steel cutting for NSMV I in December, this event signifies the second major construction milestone in the MARAD-led NSMV program.
Photo: Joe Haupt (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking the public s help in determining the future of the world s first nuclear-powered merchant ship.
The NS Savannah was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. and launched in 1959 as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower s Atoms for Peace Program to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ship was removed from service in 1971 and the reactor was defueled. Registered as a National Historic Landmark since 1991, the ship is currently part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) in retention status. All that remains of the vessel s nuclear power plant are its systems, structures and components.