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An oil tanker is anchored in New York Harbor October 31, 2012. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photo acquire license rights
LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) – The United States is increasing access to commercial tankers as part of a security campaign to protect the transport of oil for its armed forces in times of crisis, a senior US official said. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The U.S.-flagged commercial fleet includes a few dozen tankers, the majority of which are involved in domestic trade, and concerns have been raised about possible disruptions to the U.S. economy if these vessels were used by the military, according to a study by the Ministry of Defense.
The Tanker Safety Program aims to charter 10 international commercial vessels by 2023, capable of transporting petroleum products. Each would receive an annual payment of up to $6 million and was required to be operated in the United States and have American crews.
Nine ships have joined the program, with an update on the last one expected soon, and six of them will go under the U.S. flag, said Ann Philips, administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD), the DOT agency responsible of the country’s maritime transport. Transportation system.
“This program marks the start of building some organic capabilities,” Philips told Reuters on the sidelines of London International Shipping Week last week.
The charter agreements are valid until 2035, MARAD said.
Philips, a retired US Navy rear admiral, said MARAD was working to bring in 10 additional ships next year, adding that the military had access to a “modest tanker capacity” in the past.
The tanker project builds on a separate initiative involving 60 vessels, primarily container ships active in international trade, that the United States can access.
MARAD is separately responsible for a reserve force of approximately 48 ships, primarily RORO (roll on-roll off) carriers located around the United States, which have five days’ notice to move.
“We are in the process of recapitalizing this fleet, either by extending the life or purchasing used vessels,” Philips said.
The United States is struggling with a sailor deficit, estimated at 1,800, which Philips said MARAD is trying to address through recruitment and training campaigns.
Washington may soon offer to put armed sailors and Marines on commercial ships sailing through the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. officials said in August, amid alleged attempts by Iran to hijack ships in international waters.
Reporting by Jonathan Saul Editing by Tomasz Janowski
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