Charters Add 11 LMSRs To AMO Fleet

Charters Add 11 LMSRs To AMO Fleet

AMSEA, 3PSC To Operate Bob Hope Class, Converted Vessels

      American Maritime Officers will man 11 more large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) ships under two new Military Sealift Command (MSC) charter awards.
     After fiercely competitive bidding, MSC awarded the operating charter for nine of the 11 LMSRs to American Overseas Marine Inc. (AMSEA). Under a small business set-aside, 3PSC LLC won the operating charter for the remaining two LMSRs in the fleet.
     Maersk Line Ltd., which employs AMO, currently operates eight Watson class LMSRs for MSC and the new charters bring the entire fleet of 19 under AMO contract.
     “These awards are a testament to the proven ability of the AMO membership and the performance of these companies,” said AMO National President Michael McKay. “The bidding on these contracts was some of the most competitive we’ve seen. The success of AMSEA and 3PSC ensures an expanded role for AMO members in the most vital division of the military’s sealift program.”
     The charters are for one-year each with four one-year options, extending into 2009. Turnover of the ships by their previous operating company is expected to begin in September or October.
     The contracts cover seven ships built for the LMSR program following the first Persian Gulf war in 1990 and 1991 and four ships that were converted to LMSRs during the same period. AMO manned the converted LMSRs--USNS Gordon, USNS Gilliland, USNS Shughart and USNS Yano--during their initial charter.
     Under the current charters, the USNS Gilliland and USNS Gordon will be operated by 3PSC. AMSEA will operate the seven Bob Hope class LMSRs--USNS Mendonca, USNS Seay, USNS Bob Hope, USNS Benavidez, USNS Brittin, USNS Pililaau and USNS Fisher--as well as the converted LMSRs, USNS Shughart and USNS Yano.
     The eight LMSRs operated by Maersk Line Ltd. are the USNS Dahl, USNS Pomeroy, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Soderman, USNS Watkins, USNS Sisler, USNS Watson and USNS Charlton.
     The 11 LMSRs covered by the new charters bolster the military’s ability to react quickly in a crisis. The ships operate from ports on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts and can be fully activated and underway in 96 hours or less. These 950-foot ships are each capable of delivering more than 300,000 square feet of equipment and supplies.
     The LMSR program was established expressly to provide reliable sealift and rapid deployment resources for U.S. military operations around the globe, and the fleet has been the prime mover of combat cargo for U.S. military units involved in the global war on terrorism.†An estimated 95 percent of the equipment and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces is moved by sea.
     During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the LMSR fleet served as a vital bridge to the Middle East, transporting equipment, vehicles, aircraft, ammunition and other supplies to U.S. forces. Now, during Operation Iraqi Freedom II, the fleet continues its sealift mission, rotating equipment out of the Persian Gulf and bringing in replenishment equipment and supplies for military operations and reconstruction efforts in the region.

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