The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently awarded Maritime Administration contracts valued at $1.96 billion to seven U.S. maritime firms to manage operations of 48 National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels through January 2024.
The contract includes 18 four-year base contracts at $953.5 million and two two-year options for the remainder of the award. The companies receiving the contracts are Crowley Technical Management, Keystone Shipping Services, Matson Navigation Company, Ocean Duchess, Pacific-Gulf Marine, Patriot Contract Services and Tote Services.
“From supporting our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and providing humanitarian support for Haiti, to supporting the United Nations' at-sea neutralization of Syria’s chemical weapons – this fleet reliably, economically and efficiently advances U.S. contributions to global peace and prosperity,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
The Maritime Administration also assists in maintaining the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet, responsible for carrying the nation’s domestic waterborne commerce and a small percentage of its waterborne foreign commerce.
Optimized and poised for deployment, 46 of the 48 NDRF vessels make up the Ready Reserve Force, also managed by the Maritime Administration, which has been used hundreds of times since 2002 to transport equipment and supplies to U.S. forces overseas, as well as to nations in need of humanitarian aid. Two of the vessels aid Missile Defense Agency operations.
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