Military Sealift Command MSC Ships

Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ships refers to the official MSC ship inventory — the U.S. Navy's public listing of the government-owned and chartered vessels that Military Sealift Command operates to provide at-sea logistics, replenishment, and sealift support to the fleet and joint force. MSC is the U.S. Transportation Command's (USTRANSCOM) Navy sealift component, and its inventory page is now published at msc.usff.navy.mil (the former msc.navy.mil domain is no longer resolving).

What it is

The MSC ship inventory lists MSC's civilian-crewed fleet by program area, including the Combat Logistics Force (fleet oilers and dry cargo/ammunition ships that replenish Navy ships underway), Special Mission ships (unique government tasking such as submarine support and missile-range instrumentation), Strategic/Surge Sealift ships, and other categories such as prepositioning, expeditionary fast transport, and towing/salvage/hospital ships. MSC describes its fleet as roughly 125–130 ships across these program areas, crewed primarily by Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARs) rather than uniformed sailors.

Who operates it

Military Sealift Command operates the fleet and publishes the inventory. MSC is a U.S. Navy command and serves as USTRANSCOM's Navy component for sealift and ocean transportation; it is headquartered at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

Access

The ship inventory is publicly viewable at msc.usff.navy.mil — no login or CAC is required to browse ship listings.

How logisticians use it

Logisticians, planners, and researchers use the inventory to identify which MSC vessels exist, their program/class, and general status — relevant to combat logistics force planning, strategic sealift, and prepositioning support for deployed forces. MSC's Combat Logistics Force ships are the at-sea supply line delivering fuel, ordnance, and dry cargo to Navy ships underway, while Sealift and Prepositioning ships move and stage equipment and supplies for the joint force.

Related systems

Related to USTRANSCOM's broader sealift mission (MSC is one of USTRANSCOM's three Transportation Component Commands, alongside the Army's Transportation Command (ARTRANS) — renamed from Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, SDDC, in September 2025 — and an Air Force component) and to the Naval Vessel Register, which tracks the official status of U.S. Navy battle-force and support ships.