The Maritime Administration (MARAD) requires services for the exclusive long-term safe layberthing for two MARAD's RRF (USGC FSS) vessels, ALTAIR and BELLATRIX, in the Gulf Coast of the United States. Although the layberthing is intended for the vessels identified in this solicitation, the Government reserves the right to substitute one or two of the said vessels with vessel(s) of similar or smaller size(s). A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of the Defense (DoD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) establishes that, in consideration of the National Defense and the American Merchant Marine, a mutual interest and responsibility exists for the joint establishment, maintenance and control of a Ready Reserve Force (RRF), which is an element of the National Defense Reserve Fleet

(NDRF). The ships of the RRF are maintained by MARAD in various states of readiness to meet common user lift requirements of the armed services in a contingency. The RRF consists of 46 vessels as of September, 2017. 

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