The Maritime Administration has taken delivery of the training ship Lone Star State, the fourth of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels built by Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia. The 524-foot ship has a scantling draft of 24 feet 7 inches, a deadweight of 8,487 metric tons, berthing for 760 and a service speed of 18 knots. She will be homeported at Texas A and M Maritime Academy in Galveston, repositioning there in November ahead of a first cadet Sea Term in April 2027.

Congress appropriated $325 million for the Texas ship in December 2020. Her keel was laid in December 2023 and she launched in January 2025.

“The success of the NSMV program and the VCM model behind it proves that government and industry can deliver complex ships on time, on budget, and without compromising quality,” said Jeff Dixon, president of vessel construction manager TOTE Services. “This is what the future of U.S. shipbuilding looks like.” Sister ships Empire State, Patriot State and State of Maine were delivered in 2023, 2024 and March 2026; the fifth, Golden State, is expected at Cal Poly Maritime in Vallejo, California, in 2027.