U S Military Sealift Command News

Crowley, the manager of oil tanker Stena Immaculate that was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong, causing a blaze, has reported that all 23 members of the ship’s crew are safe and without reported injuries, as it launches spill containment response efforts.On March 10, 2025, while stationary and anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull in the United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong.Crowley…

A tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military was hit by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, with the collision igniting a blaze on both vessels, causing multiple explosions and forcing both crews to abandon ship.The tanker, which can carry tens of thousands of tons of jet fuel, was at anchor when the smaller container ship struck it, rupturing its cargo tank and releasing fuel into the sea, its operator said. Its owner Stena Bulk gave the same details.Two maritime…

Seaward Services, Inc. (SSI), a subsidiary of Hornblower Group, has been awarded a new five-year contract by the U.S. Navy for the continued operation and maintenance of the USNS Guam. This contract, secured through a competitive bidding process, will take effect in March 2025.Seaward has been the primary operator of the USNS Guam since 2013, overseeing its delivery from Norfolk, Virginia, to its current homeport in Okinawa, Japan, in 2017. The 107-meter high-speed troop transport vessel plays a vital role in the Western Pacific…

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), has received POs from Austal USA to provide critical equipment for the U.S. Navy’s next-generation TAGOS-25 program.Through Fairbanks Morse Defense businesses American Fan, Federal Equipment Company (FEC), Maxim Watermakers, and Welin Lambie, the defense supplier will deliver and install fundamental systems for TAGOS-25’s oceanic surveillance ships.The TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ships are designed to support U.S.

Four students from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) – Draygan Colonese, Elizabeth Kay, Charles Lausten and Gianna Russo – have been awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships in recognition of their success and commitment to careers in the maritime industry.They were selected based on their academic achievements and performance during the cadet training periods aboard Crowley-operated or -managed vessels.Colonese, a senior from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is pursuing a degree in maritime logistics and security.

Tributes have been paid to The Maritime Group (International) (TMG) founder Captain John M Cox III following his death at the age of 93.Capt Cox, known to his friends as Jack, died peacefully in Seattle on Thursday November 21 after a short illness.He recently retired as chairman and president of The Maritime Group (International), which included The Maritime Group, Inc. (Seattle), The Maritime Group (Pacific), The Maritime Group (Asia) and The Maritime Group (Europe) - recently…

[ to deep, dark & confined spaces ]DLS Marine received approval from ABS for remote inspection, and it is leveraging advanced drone + software tech to make the process of tank inspection more efficient and less dangerous.DLS Marine is a long-tenured name in the U.S. maritime survey market, founded by Bob Stickney as Stickney Marine Surveying in New Orleans in 1968, with a pivotal moment coming in 1977 when Stickney hired Norman Dufour, future DLS Marine Partner, as an apprentice marine surveyor.

The U.S. Navy’s Fleet Weather Centers are piloting Sofar’s Wayfinder platform and data from its global network of ocean sensors to advance the Navy’s capability to ensure safe and efficient ship routing for the U.S. Fleet.Sofar Ocean announced the partnership with the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command’s (CNMOC) Fleet Weather Centers in Norfolk (FWC-N) and San Diego (FWC-SD).FWC-N and FWC-SD, the Navy’s two primary weather forecasting centers, are piloting Sofar’s Wayfinder platform to support the routing of naval vessels at sea.

As the Military Sealift Command (MSC) celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is looking to the future through the eyes of a forward-thinking “innovation cell” named for a ship from its storied past. USNS Taluga (T-AO-62) was the first Navy replenishment ship that was operated by civil service mariners.The Taluga Group is a three-person team of Director John Bruening, Dean Vesely and Jerit VanAuker who are focused on capability development and adoption of innovative practices.The Tulaga Group team have diverse backgrounds to help them look at problems in different ways.

The U.S. Navy on Friday announced it has placed a $6.75 billion order with San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO for up to eight John Lewis Class (TAO-205) Fleet Replenishment Oilers. The ships are scheduled for delivery through January 2035.The Navy, which has been looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency across its shipbuilding and repair programs, said it expects the "block buy" approach will unlock savings of $491 million compared to the total anticipated…

Hanwha Ocean on Wednesday announced it has secured a contract that makes it the first Korean shipbuilder to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for the U.S. Navy.The 40,000-ton U.S. Navy dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra is undergoing maintenance and inspection at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, with additional onshore maintenance work being conducted using the shipyard’s floating facilities.The MRO contract requires a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) certification, which Hanwha Ocean earned in July 2024. The certification, granted by the U.S.

ABS Wavesight, the ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service company, launched the latest module of Nautical Systems (NS) - Web, the web-based version of its flagship NS platform. Building on the foundation of the on-premise Nautical Systems software, NS - Web delivers the features and functionality required for modern fleet management, enhanced with the flexibility, accessibility, and scalability of a web-based solution. With NS - Web, users can access fleet management tools from devices with an internet connection, whether at sea or onshore.

Seatrium Limited has secured a series of repairs and upgrades contracts with an aggregate value of S$180 million.All projects, with the exception of one, will be completed by end 2024. The range of complex contracts include major repairs on offshore vessels, naval vessels, ferries, LNG carriers, tankers, as well as damage repair.Seatrium has secured a series of four offshore refits, including two jack-ups and two drillships, from esteemed regular customers, Velesto Energy Berhad, Zonda Drilling AS and Seadrill Limited.

The keel for the future USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), a John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler, was authenticated at General Dynamics NASSCO, June 21.The ship is named for human rights pioneer Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women’s rights activist.The ship sponsor is Marian Wright Edelman, civil rights trailblazer and Founder and President Emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.“The future USNS Sojourner Truth will aid in expanding refueling capability at sea,” said John Lighthammer, program manager, Auxiliary and Special Mission Ships, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships.

Alabama Shipyard has secured a contract to perform maintenance work aboard the Military Sealift Command's (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196).The Mobile, Ala. shipyard was awarded an $11,339,193 firm-fixed-price contract for a 106-calendar day shipyard availability. The deal includes a base work package and four unexercised options for additional work and time which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative value of this contract to $11,807,789.Alabama Shipyard was one of five bidders for the job.Work will begin August 31…

Bollinger Shipyards on Saturday hosted a ceremony at Bollinger Houma to christen the U.S. Navy’s newest towing, rescue and salvage ship (T-ATS) USNS Cherokee Nation.The Hon. Franklin Parker, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs joined ship’s sponsor and Deputy Speaker of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, the Hon. Victoria Mitchell Vazquez and Matron of Honor, Kailey Beth Rincher to celebrate the new addition to the fleet and pay homage to its namesake.The second Bollinger-built ship of the Navy’s Navajo class…

Alabama Shipyard has been awarded a pair of ship repair contracts from the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) that are worth nearly $40 million altogether. The Mobile, Ala. shipyard was awarded a $30,085,225 firm-fixed-price contract for a 156-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry dock availability of MSC’s hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20). This deal includes options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative value to $30,900,268. Work will begin August 1, 2024, and is expected to be completed by January 3, 2025.

Vigor has completed a Post-Shakedown Availability (PSA) on USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) at Swan Island. The first-in-class Military Sealift Command vessel will head into active service following the eight-month availability, as the namesake of the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers.Beginning last fall, the PSA included systems improvements and post-delivery upgrades to improve the vessel’s operability. It is a typical availability during which any needed changes can be made and issues arising during initial sea trials can be addressed.

A shortage of U.S. mariners presents a major threat to the United States’ national and economic security, and the problem is growing day by day.According to a 2017 study prepared by the Maritime Workforce Working Group and released by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the estimated pool of U.S. mariners actively sailing with unlimited tonnage credentials was comprised of 11,768 mariners. Assuming that all these mariners would be both willing and available to sail as needed…

The U.S. mariner shortage continues to be a strategic national security concern for all maritime industry stakeholders. So what can the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) do to address the problem?Subcommittees on Readiness, and Seapower and Projection Forces on the “Posture and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise.” Both Administrator Phillips and Gen. Van Ovost focused on the mariner shortage as a key readiness concern. Gen Van Ovost stated, “The U.S. maritime industry is confronting manpower shortages that create a national security risk.

The Military Sealift Command’s Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS) and Auxiliary Crane Ships (ACS) were built 50 years ago to pre-position vehicles and supplies in forward locations and load or unload them in undeveloped or damaged port facilities. I serve with MSC’s Taluga Group, charged with finding innovative solutions to pressing problems. One of those challenges is meeting the MPS and ACS mission as the current ships continue to serve past their expected service lines.To…

Founded as the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and renamed Military Sealift Command in 1970, MSC today not only support the Navy, but we are the Department of Defense's provider of all sealift. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently interviewed Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, U.S. Navy, for insights on the service today and it’s needs to grow in the future.What makes MSC so vital to the Navy’s fleet and our military forces around the world?When we  look at the history of contested logistics in World War II…

Austal has secured a $516 million contract to construct the lead ship of the United States Navy's ocean surveillance program, T-AGOS 25, the Australian defence shipbuilder said in an exchange filing on Friday.The contract, announced on May 19, was originally for $113.9 million for a detailed design of the Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 Class for the United States Navy, with options to design and construct up to seven such ships.On Friday, the United States Navy exercised its option to modify the contract to construct a ship, allowing Austal to buy the materials required to