Voluntary
Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA)
Please direct all questions to
Office of
Sealift Support
at 202-366-3423,
fax at 202-493-2180
or e-mail to
sealift.marad@marad.dot.gov
Providing
commercial sealift for a seamless, time-phased transition from peacetime
to wartime operations
The Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA)
program is a partnership between the U.S. Government and the maritime
industry to provide the Department of Defense (DOD) with “assured
access” to commercial sealift and intermodal capacity to support the
emergency deployment and sustainment of U.S. military forces.
Intermodal capacity includes dry cargo ships, equipment, terminal
facilities and intermodal management services.
The VISA program is authorized under the Maritime
Administration’s authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950,
and the Maritime Security Act of 2003, and was approved as a DOD
commercial sealift readiness program on January 30, 1997. The VISA
document is available at 70 Federal Register 55947-55955,
September 23, 2005.
The VISA program provides for a time-phased
activation of state-of-the-art commercial intermodal equipment to
coincide with DOD requirements while minimizing disruption to U.S.
commercial operations. The VISA program can be activated in three
stages as determined by DOD with each stage representing a higher level
of capacity commitment. In Stage III participants must commit at least
50 percent of their capacity. Dry cargo vessels enrolled in the
Maritime Security Program must commit 100 percent during
Stage III.
In general, enrollment in the VISA is conducted
annually during an “open season” window. Notification of the “open
season” is published in the Federal Register. However, non-VISA
operators that re-flag a vessel to U.S. registry can apply for VISA
enrollment at any time.
For specific VISA information please click the
preferred item below:
|