American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier Group (ARC) added M/V Liberty to the American flag as the eighth Ro-Ro vessel in its fleet. A naming ceremony will be held in the port of Charleston, South Carolina in June.
The former M/V Topeka was re-flagged to American registry and re-named the M/V Liberty on January 31, 2017. She was renamed Liberty consistent with past practice to name ARC ships after American values. The re-flagging was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany. M/V Liberty will be enrolled in the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA).
M/V Liberty - Image courtesy of ARC
M/V Liberty is among the most capable and militarily-useful vessels in the U.S.-flag commercial fleet, able to carry tracked vehicles, helicopters, trucks and other military and high and heavy project cargoes. The vessel is 199.99m long with a beam of 32.26m. The stern opening is 15.2m wide and 5.4m high, with a stern ramp rated for cargo up to 237 metric tons.
ARC is the largest U.S.-flag Ro-Ro carrier, and the third largest U.S.-flag carrier operating in international trade. Founded in 1990, the company provides American-owned, managed, and crewed Ro-Ro shipping services committed to the requirements of the Department of Defense, other U.S. government departments and agencies, and commercial customers. ARC headquarters are in New Jersey, and additional principal offices are in Germany and Washington, DC.
Source: ARC