The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has activated SUNY Maritime College’s training ship Empire State VII for temporary federal service beginning around Sept. 1, according to the college. MARAD has given the vessel a notional mission duration of approximately 170 days, but has not publicly disclosed the mission or destination. The Maritime Executive reports that Diego Garcia is rumored as a possible destination, although that has not been confirmed. The activation is notable because Empire State is the first National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) to be activated for federal service. However, the use of training ships for federal missions is not unprecedented. Earlier vessels in the Empire State training-ship lineage, including Empire State VI, have previously been activated for federal service in support of government missions. The new Empire State was specifically designed with government missions in mind and can accommodate roughly 600 people, with capacity for up to 1,000, along with a full hospital. Those capabilities make the NSMV suitable for humanitarian assistance, logistics, evacuation or other government requirements. The timing is particularly notable because the ship had only returned to New York on July 16 after a two-month international training cruise and was beginning the new academic year. Approximately 400 incoming students had recently arrived and begun their training aboard the vessel. Source: