Cost of Flying the US Flag

Operating a deep draft ocean going vessel under a US flag costs on average $20,000 per day, a much higher amount than the $7,000 daily average for vessels flying foreign flags. Those numbers were provided by the latest report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) titled Comparison of US and Foreign Flag Operating Costs. The report is already causing controversy, with unions upset over the administration’s recommendations for overhauling the industry and fears the price tag may discourage companies from flying the Stars and Stripes. That said, what does $20,000 buy a US flagged vessel and her crew?

Protection… and a lot of it. In 2009 US vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden could expect the following US resources to be available for any given transit –

- The USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport ship armed with two 30mm Bushmaster II cannons, two rolling airframe missle launchers, and a near 700 man compliment that could man small arms and deck guns.
- The USS Mahan, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer armed with vertical launch systems for Tomahawk or RUM 139 VL Asroc missles, a MK 45, two 25mm chain guns, four .50 caliber marchine guns, two Phalanx CIWS, two Mk32 trile torpedo tubes, and 281 crewmen with the capacity to arm up and fight.
- Two fourteen man U.S, Navy Visit, Board, Search, & Seizure (VBSS) Teams
- An 8 man U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement & Advanced Interdiction Team
- Infantry and Scout Sniper Platoons from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
- Six AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters
- Two UH-1N Huey helicopters
- Three HH-60H helicopters
- A Fleet Surgical Team with level two surgical capability to deal with trauma and critical care needs.

- And if a situation got really serious or needed a more surgical option there were always SEALS on standby, as evidenced by the three snipers who made hostage rescue history when they simultaneously cut down three bad guys in a lifeboat.

The above statistics were from a single body of water and involved only two of the country’s 200-300 combat ships. Can any other nation guarantee that kind of protection for its vessels? You get what you pay for.

Category: LEO Specific, MIL