News outlets in the US state of Maine have reported that the US Maritime Administration's (MARAD) newest large training ship will now be delivered in February 2026, or nearly two months after the earlier scheduled date.
State of Maine is the third of a planned five national security multi-mission vessels (NSMVs) to be built for MARAD by Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania.
Although MARAD will retain ownership of the vessel, she will support both the training of Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) cadets and the US Government's humanitarian relief efforts.
The NSMV was christened and launched in August 2025 and was initially scheduled for delivery to MMA before the end of December. However, reports stated that dockside trials revealed some issues with the vessel's propulsion system.
The vessel then underwent drydocking, which showed that some of the propulsion components needed to be either repaired or replaced. A second drydocking period will then need to be undertaken for the components to be reinstalled, and this will be followed by additional tests.
The MARAD NSMVs will replace ageing training vessels at maritime colleges and academies across the US. Standard facilities for 600 cadets and 100 crewmembers on each ship will consist of eight classrooms, a full training bridge, laboratories, and an auditorium that can seat 600.