Page 32: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2023)

NATIONAL SECURITY MULTI-MISSION VESSEL (NSMV)

PHILLY SHIPYARD TO

THE FORE ON NSMV

All photos courtesy Philly Shipyard

Philly Shipyard is in the midst of building ? ve National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), a transformational project in U.S. shipbuilding as it’s a government ship built via best commercial practices. Steinar Nerbøvik, President & CEO, Philly Shipyard, shares with

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News his thoughts on the project and its signi? cance.

By Greg Trauthwein commercial best practices. It’s the very type of project that has

Steinar, I know you’re well known in mari- allowed us to earn the trust of our commercial clients over the time circles, but to start us off can you pro- years. The difference (for us) is that our ultimate customer is vide a brief career path?

the government. We couldn’t wait to leverage our 25 years of

I’m a proud second-generation shipbuilder and studied En- experience and get it started.

gineering at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trond-

Compared to our past projects, I would say the major dif- heim, Norway. I’ve been fortunate to serve in a variety of ference in the type of vessel is the amount of out? tting in the leadership roles, then as SVP Yard Director for Vard Langsten (former Aker Yards and STX OSV Langsten) and ultimately NSMV. We have a strong history of product tankers and con- as President & CEO of Philly Shipyard. In total, I’ve been tainer vessels, but this is the ? rst time we’ve been involved involved with 50 ship construction projects in Norway, plus with a signi? cant number of cabins, living spaces, classrooms, etc. One more thing – we never thought we would be kicking another 20 here at PSI, wow…70 ships in total!

off a new construction project at the start of world-wide pan- demic, so yes, that was different as well!

The NSMV program has generated interest and excitement in U.S. shipbuilding circles.

Can you put in perspective the deal to build Can you discuss the interaction between the key stakeholders in the project, from this series of ships versus other shipbuild- ing projects you’ve been involved with in MarAd to TOTE to the academies to the designers that were given the mandate to your career?

utilize COTS technology and its impact on

We love to hear the excitement and interest in the NSMV

Philly Shipyard’s end of the project?

program, and are honored to be building these important ves-

Marad’s approach in developing a concept design with Herbert sels for the government. Ironically, from the shipyard’s per-

Engineering was important to giving us con? dence in developing spective, this project is similar to all of the commercial proj- ects we’ve completed. It’s a series construction, with applied the bid for these vessels. Marad had spent considerable time on the 32 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2023

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