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Maersk Line to operate 6 ships (3/16)

The U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) has announced that SIU-contracted Maersk Line, Limited has been awarded a contract to operate six vessels – the USNS Effective, USNS Impeccable, USNS Loyal, USNS Victorious, USNS Invincible and USNS Observation Island. The release appears below and also is available on MSC’s web site here MSC awards special mission ship operating contract The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command awarded a one-year, $23 million contract to Maersk Line Limited, of Norfolk, Va., for the operation and maintenance of four ocean surveillance ships and two missile range instrumentation ships. The contract includes four one-year options and five six-month award term options, which, if awarded, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $190 million. The ocean surveillance ships – USNS Effective, USNS Impeccable, USNS Loyal and USNS Victorious – work directly with the Navy fleets to listen for undersea threats. The range instrumentation ships – USNS Invincible and USNS Observation Island – support the U.S. Air Force by serving as seaborne platforms for radar systems. As part of MSC’s Special Mission Program, the noncombatant, government-owned ships will be crewed by U.S. commercial mariners. Special mission ships provide operating platforms and services for unique U.S. military and federal government missions. These specialized services include oceanographic and hydrographic surveys, underwater surveillance, missile flight data collection and tracking, acoustic survey and submarine support. In addition to performing special missions, MSC operates more than 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move 95 percent of military equipment and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces. ###