consisted of 344 Navy and MarAd vessels held in 
three reserve fleet sites. The number of retention 
ships in the fleet (vessels which receive conventional 
preservation treatment, dehumidification, and ca- 
thodic protection) now stands at 216, of which 149 
are MarAd vessels and 67 are Navy-owned. The 
remaining ships in the NDRF are either scrap candi- 
dates or designated for special programs. 
As indicated previously, a major role now cited 
for the NDRF is to provide the United States with 
a surge capability in order to minimize the disrup- 
tion to regular U.S. commercial carriers in a limited 
national emergency. To improve the responsiveness 
of the NDRF to meet such requirements, a program 
was recently undertaken to place about 30 NDRF 
vessels in a special ready-reserve status that would 
permit activation in as little as 5 to 10 days. So 
far, seven vessels have been placed in ready reserve 
status and one additional vessel is now being modi- 
fied for the program. 
The Maritime Administration also pene 
with the Navy Department through the Navy Sealift 
Readiness Program (SRP). Under this program, car- 
riers in the regularly scheduled berthline trades who 
wish to carry Department of Defense preference 
cargoes in peacetime must commit half of their ship- 
ping capacity to military support operations in the 
event of a nonmobilization emergency. Because they 
are fully operational in peacetime, SRP vessels can 
be made available more quickly in an emergency 
than most of the vessels in the Reserve Fleet. MarAd 
works closely with the Navy on this program to 
assure that the shipping capacity to meet emergency 
requirements will be available when needed, while 
at the same time assuring that the negative com- 
mercial impact is minimized. 
Until July 1, 1977, the Sealift Readiness Program 
required vessel callup for a minimum of 6 months 
and a maximum of 12 months. Because a 6-month 
diversion from normal trading patterns could result 
in substantial commercial damage, this provision 
was changed, reducing the minimum call up period 
to 4 months and the maximum to 9 months. It is 
now expected that SRP ships will be used to meet 
initial emergency requirements and then released as 
quickly as possible to their normal trades before 
foreign flag carriers can make significant inroads. 
In the meantime, reserve fleet vessels can be acti- 
vated as necessary to provide sustained support. 
Other emergency preparedness activities carried 
out by the Maritime Administration include the de- 
velopment of contingency plans for emergency mobi- 
lization of ports, merchant shipping, and the ship- 
building industry. Such planning is essential because 
the Maritime Administration, in its capacity as the 
National Shipping Authority, would be responsible 
for port and merchant shipping operations during 
mobilization and would share shipbuilding responsi- 
bility with the Navy. Planning activities in these 
areas are fully coordinated with other relevant Fed- 
eral agencies and with the appropriate elements of 
NATO. 
Finally, a number of Maritime Administration 
activities are carried out in response to growing 
national concerns for environmental protection and 
energy development, transportation and conserva- 
tion. In the area of environmental protection, the 
agency participates in a wide variety of domestic 
and international programs designed to minimize 
the adverse environmental consequences of activities 
related to marine transportation. A primary concern 
of the Maritime Administration in this area is to 
maximize marine environmental protection while at 
the same time assuring that full advance considera- 
tion is given to the potential impact of various envi- 
ronmental initiatives on U.S. shipping and trade. 
In the area of energy production, MarAd ha 
become a major participant in supporting capital 
investment in the rapidly expanding offshore drilling 
industry. For fiscal year 1976, about one-third of 
the total value of loans guaranteed under the Title 
XI program was accounted for by loans for drilling 
ships, platforms, and drilling service vessels.°° 
In the area of energy transportation, a number 
of special analyses have been made or are underway 
to assess anticipated future requirements for various 
types of energy carriers, ranging from tankers to 
liquefied natural gas carriers to propane and butane 
carriers. One recent example was a study released 
in October 1976 assessing the adequacy of the U.S. 
tanker fleet to meet oil carriage requirements for 
the Alaska oil trade and to analyze expected require- 
ments for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.*’ This 
study, and subsequent assessments, led to steps to 
augment the U.S. domestic fleet by allowing tempo- 
rary employment of some subsidized tankers in the 
Alaska trade upon repayment of subsidy. Steps also 
have been taken recently to authorize limited par- 
ticipation by some ODS tankers in the carriage of 
preference oil destined for the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve. While engaged in such carriage, however, 
these tankers will not receive operating subsidy. 
With respect to energy conservation, the Maritime 
Administration conducts a variety of research and 
promotional programs aimed at improving the en- 
ergy efficiency of the U.S. shipping and shipbuilding 
industries. In conjunction with efforts in this area, 
close and continuous coordination is maintained with 
appropriate agencies of the Department of Energy. 
© U.S., Department of Commerce, Maritime Administration, 
MARAD ’76; The Annual Report of the Maritime Administra- 
tion for Fiscal Year 1976 and the Transition Quarter Ending 
September 30, 1976. Washington, D.C., Government Printing 
Office, April 1977, p. 83. 
*\{J.S. Department of Commerce, Maritime Administration, 
Office of Policy and Plans. The U.S.-Flag Tanker Fleet and 
Domestic Carriage Requirements—An Assessment of Fleet Ade- 
quacy. October 21, 1976. 
V-42 
