PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A centuries-old ceremony brought officials from the Biden administration and the Navy to the Philly Shipyard on Monday for the christening of the newest vessel in the U.S. fleet.
“Patriot State” is what is known as a “National Security Multi-Mission Vessel.” It's one of five planned ships built to train cadets and respond to emergencies. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the ship provides proof of the country’s commitment to its maritime strength.
“It’s all about making sure we’re building up that capability now. We’re not just building ships, we’re building a shipbuilding base for the commercial and defense future of this country,” he said.
On top of that, shipyard president Steinar Nerbovik called Patriot State’s electric diesel engine the future of the industry.
“To make it happen, we teamed with the best American suppliers like GE and Babtech from Pittsburgh,” he said. “Yes, Steelers fans and Eagles fans working together.”
The cutting-edge ship’s classrooms and training bridge will be home to 600 cadets from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, which Navy Secretary Carlos Del Torro predicted will build the country’s maritime forces even further.
“The first time they set foot on these great ships, they’re going to recruit more and more cadets and midshipmen to come serve in our United States Navy, our merchant marines and other great services,” he said.
The project already revived the Philly Shipyard, which won the contract to build five vessels. That helped grow the workforce from 80 five years ago, to around 1,700 now.
“It's inspiring to see it in person but what really struck me is the people who are here and the pride that they take,” said Buttigieg. “People are rightly proud of both this accomplishment and the tradition that they’re a part of.”