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1.0 General

1.1 Introduction

The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) supports the Department of Defense with the rapid worldwide deployment of U.S.

military personnel, equipment, and supplies. The ships in the NDRF require a lube oil analysis program, of which this contract for laboratory services will be a part. The NDRF ships are divided into various subsets that are managed differently depending on the program that they support. The subsets are the, Ready Reserve Force (RRF), Schoolships, Missile Defense Agency Support, and Fleet Support Craft.

1.1.1 The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) is a key element of strategic sealift. The RRF also provides humanitarian support in the event of natural disasters, extreme weather events, and other such circumstances that warrant vessel activation. The RRF is structured to transport military equipment and provide initial re-supply for forces deploying anywhere in the world. The ships are maintained and operated by commercial ship management companies under contract to the MARAD. At present the RRF fleet consists of forty-six

(46) vessels maintained in a determined state of readiness located at various ports throughout the United Sates on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts.

1.1.2 There are eight (8) vessels serving as Schoolships for the nation’s maritime academies.

These vessels operate worldwide and are located in Castine, ME; Buzzards Bay, MA;

Bronx, NY; Kings Point, NY; Traverse City, MI; Galveston, TX; Vallejo, CA; and Piney Point, MD.

1.1.3 There are two (2) vessels supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) that are currently located in Portland, OR, and also operate worldwide. They are maintained and operated similarly to the RRF.

1.1.4 MARAD maintains three lay-up fleets located at James River, VA; Beaumont, TX; and

Suisan Bay, CA. These fleets have a number of fleet support craft that may require testing both on a scheduled program and an ad hoc basis.

1.2 MARAD Lube Oil Analysis Program

1.2.1 The MARAD Lube Oil Analysis Program, currently in place for the RRF, serves as a necessary component of a mandated preventive maintenance plan (PMP). This program serves all the vessels in the RRF and is managed from the Office of Ship Operations, located at MARAD Headquarters in Washington, DC. The function of this program is for the vessel’s personnel to take oil samples under prescribed operating conditions and time frames and mail these samples to an approved oil testing laboratory for expert analysis to assist and determine the conditions of the identified machinery. The results of this analysis are then received by the vessel, vessel ship managers, vessel contracting officer’s