October 13 - American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier (ARC) has christened its US-flag ro-ro vessel, Patriot.

Formerly named Aida, Patriot was re-flagged to American registry in March this year as the seventh ro-ro vessel in ARC's fleet.

Patriot, which entered commercial service in 2006, is 199 m long with a beam of 32 m.

The ship's stern ramp can handle cargoes up to 240 tonnes, which makes Patriot well suited for heavy military cargo, such as tanks and other heavy tracked vehicles.

The vessel is currently operating in ARC's US-Europe/Mediterranean commercial service.

In reference to the decline of the US-flag fleet, ARC president and ceo Eric Ebeling indicated that cargo volumes have declined due to the changing overseas military footprint, lack of a fully functioning Ex-Im Bank, and other factors.

"Despite the challenging market conditions, ARC has remained steadfast in its commitment to US-flag shipping, and remains dedicated to continuing the process of investing and recapitalising our fleet in the coming years," Ebeling said.

 

ARCshipping.com

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