Volpe Center News

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

At the time of publication, the first National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), the Empire State VII, is steadily advancing towards its final delivery to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and SUNY Maritime College. Let’s be clear—this is a huge win, not only for MARAD, its vessel construction manager TOTE Services, the shipbuilder Philly Shipyard, and SUNY Maritime, but for the future of government shipbuilding.To put this milestone in its appropriate context, it is worth reviewing how we got here.

The U.S. Coast Guard, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will hold nationwide public discussions on navigational aid technology and how it will affect the future of America's waterways. The Future of Navigation-21st Century Waterways public listening sessions will be held in several locations across the country and will provide venues for open communications between various federal agencies and U.S. Maritime Transportation System stakeholders to discuss the joint federal agency initiative to use modern technology to support a safer, more efficient, more secure and environmentally-sound Marine Transportation System.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that Mission the Effectiveness Project (MEP) is significantly improving the mission capability and lowering the operating costs of in-service medium endurance cutters and patrol boats, thus bridging the gap between the aging fleet and the delivery of new assets. Since MEP began in 2005, the project has consistently achieved its goals on time and on budget. As project approaches its midpoint, the Coast Guard reviewed some of the lessons learned and performance improvements achieved.

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) will host their next conference on Technologies for Homeland Security on April 21st and 22nd of 2004. It will be held at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Auditorium on 55 Broadway, in Cambridge, MA. With the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) as co-organizers for this event, along with top technical, governmental, and industry speakers, conference attendees will gain direct insights into the requirements, technologies, operations and funding for technologies, which protect our critical transportation, aviation and border infrastructures.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and its Canadian partner, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, today unveiled a new Automatic Identification System (AIS), the first to be fielded on a North American waterway. The AIS uses the latest communication technology via universal VHF radio frequency to share vital marine navigation data from ship-to-ship, shore-to ship, and ship-to-shore in real time. Following a ceremony at St. Lambert Lock in Montreal, Seaway engineers and personnel from the DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center demonstrated the AIS capabilities for the Seaway Traffic Management System and on board the vessels. Shipping industry representatives were invited aboard the Seaway Tug, Robinson Bay, to test out the system on the St.