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Newer Maersk Vessels Join MSP Fleet

December 2004

Seafarers are sailing aboard five containerships operated by Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) that have transferred into the U.S. Maritime Security Program, replacing older tonnage. A sixth MLL vessel was scheduled to enter the fleet in late November or early December. As previously reported, agreements were signed Oct. 1, 2004 between MLL and the U.S. Maritime Administration to transfer the Maritime Security Program contracts on six existing SIU-crewed MSP vessels built in the 1980s and managed by U.S. Ship Management, Inc. (USSM) to six newer containerships. Seafarers crewed up MLL’s Sealand Charger Oct. 28 in Los Angeles; the Sealand Meteor Nov. 9 in Dubai; the Alva Maersk —since renamed the Maersk Alabama—Nov. 10 in Dubai; and both the Sealand Intrepid and Sealand Comet Nov. 16 in Los Angeles. The Sealand Lightning was due to join the fleet in Southern California after press time for this issue of the LOG. The replacements were approved by the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Transportation Command and represent a significant improvement in the ability of MLL’s U.S.-flag fleet to serve its military and commercial customers. In a recent press release, Maersk noted that MSP age limits require that older vessels be replaced in the current program before reaching 25 years of age. The fate of the six replaced vessels will be determined soon, but they are likely to operate in Maersk’s international fleet. The Maritime Administration describes the Maritime Security Program as “a fundamental element of the U. S. maritime transportation system, providing an active, privately owned, U.S.-flag, and U.S.-crewed liner fleet in international trade which is available to support Department of Defense sustainment in a contingency.” The MSP was established by the Maritime Security Act of 1996 and provides annual funding for up to 47 vessels to partially offset the higher operating costs of keeping these vessels under U.S.-flag registry. MSP payments represent approximately 13 percent of the cost of operating U.S.-flag vessels. Last December, President Bush signed a 10-year extension of the MSP, set to begin next year when the current program expires. The updated MSP increases the number of participants from 47 ships to 60 ships and provides financial assistance to construct five newly built tankers in the United States that are capable of carrying military petroleum products during a war. The MSP helps maintain a pool of well-trained American seafarers who are available to crew the U.S. government-owned strategic sealift fleet as well as the U.S. commercial fleet, both in peace and war.