The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of ships of the United States, mostly merchant vessels, that have been mothballed but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during nati
NDRF ships in Suisun Bay in San Francisco Bay
USS Iowa (BB-61) was in the custody of MARAD in the NDRF at Suisun Bay from 2001 to 2011.
Inactive U.S. Navy auxiliary ships in the James River near Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia
Mothballed ships in Suisun Bay in San Francisco Bay in 2010. The battleship USS Iowa can be seen at the far end of the first row, and the Hughes Mining Barge at the near end
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the maintenance activity have changed several times, the basi
National Defense Reserve Fleet
…as commercial shipping crises. The NDRF is managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). It is distinct from the United States Navy reserve fleets, which consist largely of naval vessels. NDRF vessels are at the fleet sites at James River, Virginia (James River Reserve Fleet); Beaumont, Texas…
View of the reserve fleet laid up at Naval Station San Diego, circa in the 1950s
Ships in the US Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay in 1972
Aerial view of the US Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay in 1995