This new charter expedites the way USTRANSCOM awards commercial shipping contracts and provides agility to military logisticians and more predictability with shorter dwell times for industry partners. Now, USTRANSCOM can hire participating companies and their vessels as needed under short-term charter contracts awarded through individual task orders rather than full contract solicitations.

To qualify, companies must have at least one RoRo, multi-purpose, or vehicle carrier vessel enrolled in the U.S. government's Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement that has transported Department of War cargo within the past two years.

Sealift represents approximately 90% of USTRANSCOM's total capacity to move military vehicles and equipment, making it an indispensable capability for global power projection.
As the naval component to USTRANSCOM, the Military Sealift Command (MSC) provides all strategic and maritime logistics for the Department of War. The Joint Global Sealift Charter contract provides MSC additional commercial sealift to facilitate USTRANSCOM's global movement of large-volume combat forces' rolling stock and associated materiel through short-term worldwide time and voyage charters.

Companies receiving the contract include the RoRo/PCTC-operators American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier LLC, Farrell Lines Inc, and Liberty Global Logistics LLC. The non-RoRo operators receiving the contract are Federated Maritime LLC, Patriot Shipping LLC, Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC, and Waterman Transport Inc.

The contract is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contract with a period of performance from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031. The face value of the program is estimated at USD 1.2 billion with a cumulative maximum ceiling value of USD 2.7 billion.