• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Maersk G Class

On 25 September 2002 Maersk Line, Limited announced that it would purchase 4 modern Panamax G-Class vessels that it will operate under U.S. registry beginning in October 2002. Replacing four older and slower 1,500 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) vessels, each of the G-Class vessels has 4,300 TEU capacity and will be the most modern containerships in the U.S. flag fleet. Maersk Line, Limited will employ 19 American citizen merchant mariners to crew each vessel and all four vessels will be enrolled in the U.S. Government's Maritime Security Program.

The four Panamax G-class ships replace the smaller U.S.-flag containerships Maersk Texas, Maersk Tennessee, Maersk California and Maersk Colorado in the Maritime Security Program. The "Ts and Cs" shifted to commercial foreign trade markets under foreign flags and with foreign officers and crews. Maersk Line, Limited's continued investment in modernizing and upgrading its U.S. flag fleet increased the containership capacity and capability available to support the needs of the sealift readiness requirements of the U.S. military as well as commercial customers.

In October 2002 Maersk began re-flagging the four new replacement containerships to U.S. registry for operation under AMO contract in commercial foreign trade. The first re-flagging was in Dubai, where the American flag was raised aboard the Maersk Missouri, formerly the Danish-flagged Gerd Maersk. The ship was built in 1997. In November 2002, Maersk re-registered the Danish-flagged Grete Maersk and Gudrun Maersk in Dubai. The ships -- built in 1998 and 1997, respectively -- operate under the U.S. flag as the Maersk Carolina and Maersk Georgia. In February 2003, the company completed the transfer of the Maersk Geelong from the Singapore registry to the US flag in Norfolk, VA. Completed in June 2002, the ship operated in U.S. registry as the Maersk Virginia.

Maersk Line, Limited will operate the four new vessels -- Maersk Missouri, Maersk Carolina, Maersk Georgia and Maersk Virginia -- in liner service between the U.S. East coast and ports in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indian Subcontinent. Maersk Line, Limited will be the only carrier operating a direct U.S. Flag liner service to the Middle East region, which is an important area of the world to many of our commercial and government customers. This direct U.S. Flag service will shorten transit times, improve service reliability, and provide added cargo security.

In an era of a shrinking U.S. merchant fleet, Maersk Line, Limited's investment in bringing modern containerships under U.S. Flag challenges the industry trend. Maersk Line, Limited has assembled the largest U.S. Flag fleet in the industry. The company was working hard to remove various impediments that have stifled growth and investment in the U.S. merchant fleet. However, many impediments still remain that must be addressed to ensure that a healthy U.S. merchant fleet is available to support the Nation's foreign commerce and national security needs.

Maersk Line, Limited is a U.S. Citizen corporation headquartered in and managed from Norfolk, Virginia employing U.S. citizens and U.S. merchant mariners on U.S. registered vessels. Maersk Line, Limited provides global shipowning and management service, transportation and logistics solutions, and information technology development and implementation services to U.S. government and commercial customers. Maersk Line, Limited supports each of the branches of the U.S. Military by providing liner ocean transportation services under contract with the Military Traffic Management Command, vessel operations services for the Military Sealift Command, and is a participant in the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement.

The Maersk fleet is one of the largest in the world with many different types of vessels. This includes some of the world's biggest container vessels as well as some of the most powerfull supply vessels in the world.

In January 2003 the 70,000-ton M/V Maersk Carolina, sailed from the Mediterranean on 6 day Atlantic crossing. M/V Maersk Carolina was laden with goods ranging from citrus fruit to cotton. This vessel calls at ports in North America, the Middle East & India. Carolina's last rotation call was scheduled in New York.

M/V Maersk Carolina, with American 19 crew, arriving Halifax Harbor, Sunday, 26 Janueary 2003. One of the world's newest container ships took a beating in the North Atlantic. The vessel was scheduled to arrive Halifax on 25 January, but arrived late because of trouble on South tip of the Grand Banks, off Newfoundland. M/V Maersk Carolina encountered gale-force winds of 90km Per Hour and 6 meter seas. "Waves in the area traversed by the ship during the gale were as tall as a six or seven story building. Two Canadian Navy ships were also damaged in the same storm, centered E. of Nova Scotia. On arrival at Halifax approximately 130 containers had been lost overboard. Many more damaged containers on deck . There was also damage to the vessel's superstructure. Some containers were hanging off the side of ship, ripped open like cardboard boxes. Horizontal scrapes were visible on the ship's hull below the dangling container.