NSMV 1. Image: Herbert Engineering and MARAD By Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. - National Maritime Day (May 22) came a month earlier than usual with the announcement by the Maritime Administration and TOTE Services, LLC, that Philly Shipyard, Inc., had been selected to build the first of a new class of training ships for the state maritime academies. Known as … [Read more...]
The Long Gray Line – Turbo Activation 2019
By Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. - On Monday, September 16, 2019, the United States Transportation Command ordered the no-notice activation of 28 out of the 61 ships held in the reserve sealift fleet. This exercise aimed to determine the material readiness of the fleet and whether the commercial merchant marine - the operating companies assigned to manage the vessels and … [Read more...]
Ready or Not, Here Comes the Ready Reserve Force!
By Sal Mercogliano, Ph.D. - In a week punctuated by a drone missile strike on two oil production plants in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, the United States Transportation Command on Monday initiated a Large-Scale Sealift Readiness Exercise. As part of its Turbo Activation series which began in 1994, the joint command, located at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois, … [Read more...]
U.S. Orders Large-Scale Turbo Activation Exercise of Ready Reserve Force Ships
The U.S. Department of Defense has ordered a large-scale turbo activation of ships in the U.S. Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Ready Reserve Force fleet. The turbo activation is part of a large-scale activation exercise ordered by the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) on September 16. The activation calls for a total of 28 RRF fleet vessels to … [Read more...]
Fire Reported in Engine Room of MARAD Vessel MV Cape Henry
A small fire broke out in the engine room of the U.S. Maritime Administration vessel Cape Henry at its layberth in Alameda, California. The San Francisco Fire Department was alerted to the fire at about 3:30 a.m. Monday morning. The fire was reported in the engine room and resulted in one crew member being taken to a local hospital for observation. The fire was … [Read more...]