Rent-to-Own: US MSC Buys MP Ships
(click to view full)
The USA’s T-AK and T-AKR classes of Maritime Prepositioning Ships serve as vast, floating stocks of equipment, ammunition, and supplies that can be sailed into friendly ports to meet up with flown-in Marines. This critical but often-unrecognized force includes a combination of U.S. government-owned ships and chartered U.S.-flagged ships, and can also include ships activated from the Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force. They are not crewed by US Navy personnel, but use U.S. civilian mariners (“CIVMARs”), who work for ship operating companies under contract to the federal government. As of January 2009, there were 15 active MP Ships under MSC’s command.
A number of the chartered ships have long-term period charters that include an option to purchase the ship once that set of chartered periods is complete. The US Navy’s Maritime Sealift Command recently exercised its options for 3 of its T-AK container-carrying “roll-on, roll-off” ships, all of which are named after exceptional people who earned the USA’s Congressional Medal of Honor for extreme valor…
Contracts and Key Events
(click to view full)
Unless otherwise indicated, all contracts are managed by US Military Sealift Command in Washington, DC.
Jan 15/09: WTAK-1 Inc. in Mobile, AL received $49.7 million to exercise an option to buy USNS Sgt Matej Kocak [T-AK 3005], under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-82-C-1019). WTAK-1 Inc. is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Co., as shipowner, and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary.
The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1984, and will remain crewed by about 30 civilian mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp. in Mobile, AL. She transferred to U.S. government ownership on Jan 15/09, and will continue to operate worldwide. See her namesake’s Medal of Honor citation.
Jan 15/09: Waterman Steamship Corp. affiliate WTAK-3 Inc. in Mobile, AL received $45.7 million to exercise an option to buy USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless [T-AK 3007], under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-82-C-1023). WTAK-3 Inc. is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust as shipowner, and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary.
The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1985, and will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by employed by Waterman Steamship Corp. in Mobile, AL. She transferred to U.S. government ownership on Jan 15/09, and will continue to operate worldwide. See her namesake’s Medal of Honor citation.
Both the Kocak [T-AK 3005] and Pless [T-AK 3007] are members of the 48,750 ton Sgt. Matej Kocak Class, which were built by Pennsylvania SB Company in Chester, PA.
Jan 15/09: Braintree V Maritime Corp. in North Quincy, MA received $48.6 million to exercise an option to buy to buy USNS Sgt. William R. Button [T-AK 3012] under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-82-C-1036). Braintree V is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Company as shipowner, and Fifth Household Finance as Beneficiary.
USNS Sgt. William R. Button was built by General Dynamics in Qunicy, MA as one of the 44,330 ton 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo Class. Bobo had its option exercised in 2007, and so did 3 other ships of this class. Button is the last of this ship class to have the purchase option exercised; she has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1986, and will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by American Overseas Marine Corporation of North Quincy, MA. She transferred to U.S. government ownership on Jan 15/09, and will continue to operate worldwide. See her namesake’s Medal of Honor citation.
- DID thanks subscriber and old MSC hand Lee Wahler for his assistance with this article.
