The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Maritime Administration:
(WASHINGTON) — The Maritime Administration (MarAd) has announced the extension of the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) program until Oct. 1, 2019. The VISA program creates a partnership between the U.S. government and the maritime industry to provide commercial sealift and intermodal shipping services and systems necessary to meet military mobilization requirements.
Through the VISA program, transportation solutions are developed in peacetime to anticipate Department of Defense requirements. The VISA program enables a seamless, time-phased transition from peacetime to wartime operations. More than 90 percent of the U.S.-flag fleet vessels that the military can use to carry supplies are committed to the VISA program.
