By Troy Turner
The Navy has awarded Waterman Transport Inc., based in Mobile, two contracts totaling more than $17 million for a variety of services on two large U.S.-flagged container supply ships, the Ocean Gladiator and the Ocean Giant. Work on the ships will be performed in Antarctica and on the East Coast.
Both vessels operate under the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, and is the contracting agency. The ships can provide up to 25,000 square feet of cargo space.
They already have a history of participating in Department of Defense support for the National Science Foundation, which serves as the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program.
Defense mission support for the program consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard as well as DOD civilians and attached non-DOD civilians.
Operation Deep Freeze in 2024 operated from two primary locations at Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
A Military Sealift Command-chartered cargo ship and tanker have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955, Navy documents show.
Supplies provided by the ships includes frozen and dry food stores, building supplies, vehicles, electronic equipment and parts.
Waterman today is part of the SEACOR family, and both names have a history of filling contracts for the military.
Waterman in Mobile is a longtime shipping company experienced in transporting equipment such as armored vehicles and other supplies, while SEACOR has worked to diversify its various companies and operations into a wide array of services surrounding and beyond the transportation and logistics fields.
SEACOR is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with operations in several other locations.
Waterman’s history in Alabama’s port city dates back more than a century.
“From ambitious beginnings in Mobile, Alabama, that began with one vessel and one man’s vision, Waterman grew to become one of the largest shipping lines in the U.S. by mid-century,” its website states.
“An outward-looking man, John B. Waterman formed the Waterman Steamship Company in the belief that the city’s fortunes depended on the expansion of its port. Under his leadership both port and company grew, underpinning the local economy and preparing it for a central role in supporting the war effort during World War II.”
The recent contracts awarded by the Navy call for Waterman to perform the work during an 85-day period ending by March 2025.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant of AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found on AlaDefense.com.
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