The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) has ordered SUNY Maritime College’s training ship Empire State to sail from its Bronx campus on September 30, The Maritime Executive reported. The vessel is scheduled to reach Norfolk, Virginia, on October 1 and remain there through October 30 as preparations continue for subsequent operations supporting the US Navy.
The sailing instructions were disclosed by college president Rear Admiral John Okon in an open letter to the SUNY Maritime community. They follow reports a month earlier that MARAD was activating the ship for federal service. According to Okon’s account, the Norfolk stay will involve an extended maintenance and repair activation, including certification of the flight deck. The vessel’s eventual assignment has not been confirmed; The Maritime Executive described a possible deployment to Diego Garcia as a rumour.
The absence raises questions for the college because Empire State supports cadet instruction both alongside at Fort Schuyler and during training voyages. Its facilities include a dedicated training bridge and classrooms, with accommodation for up to 600 cadets, teaching staff and ship personnel. Okon said the deployment decision rested with the Maritime Administrator rather than SUNY or college management, while acknowledging the institution’s responsibility to support national requirements through the federally owned vessel.
The college is still assessing the disruption, particularly to the mandatory Summer Sea Term. MARAD advised SUNY in August that its provisional estimate for the mission was approximately 170 days. Okon has told the agency that Empire State must be back at the campus around February 12, 2027, to preserve the timetable for that year’s summer programme.
Delivered in 2023, Empire State was the first of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels commissioned under MARAD’s programme to renew state maritime college training fleets. The design combines educational facilities with capabilities for federal and humanitarian work, including a roll-on/roll-off ramp, cargo crane, container handling capacity and helicopter deck. The Maritime Executive puts the ships at about 8,500 dwt and 26,000 gross tonnes, measuring 160 metres with a maximum speed of 18 knots. SUNY said this would be Empire State’s first absence from campus outside training cruises since delivery.