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{{Short description|Use of cargo ships for the deployment of civilian and military assets and supplies}}
[[File:USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) at anchorage in Souda harbor.jpg|thumb|The {{USNS|Bob Hope|T-AKR-300|6}}, a [[non-combatant]] vessel crewed by civilian mariners under the [[United States Navy]]'s [[Military Sealift Command]], is used to preposition tanks, trucks and other supplies needed to support an Army heavy brigade.]]
{{war}}
'''Sealift''' is a term used predominantly in [[military logistics]] and refers to the use of [[cargo ship]]s for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as [[strategic airlift]]s, in order to enhance a [[Sovereign state|state]]'s ability to [[power projection|project power]].

Sealift shipping falls into three broad categories: dry [[cargo ship|cargo freighters]], liquid [[tanker (ship)|tankers]], and [[passenger ship|passenger]] or [[troop ship]]s. During joint operations, dry cargo ships may transport equipment and supplies required to conduct and sustain the [[operation (military)|operation]]; tankers carry fuel; while passenger and troop ships carry personnel to the [[Theater (warfare)|theater]] and allow the evacuation of [[noncombatant]]s or those in need of [[MEDEVAC|medical aid]].

Sealift can also be divided into [[strategic]] and [[Military tactics|tactical]] sealift.<ref name=Greener67>{{cite book|last=Greener |first=Peter |title=Timing is everything: the politics and processes of New Zealand defence acquisition decision making |publisher=ANU E Press |series=Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence |volume=173 |location=Canberra, ACT |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-921536-65-6 |url=http://epress.anu.edu.au/timing_citation.html |access-date=1 September 2011 |page=67|doi=10.22459/TE.10.2009 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Strategic sealift is the transportation of vehicles and equipment to a staging area equipped with [[port]] facilities, with personnel arriving by other methods.<ref name=Greener67/> Tactical sealift occurs when a ship is carrying personnel along with vehicles and equipment, and is able to deploy them directly and operationally, like in an [[amphibious assault]].<ref name=Greener67/>

While ships are slower than their airborne counterparts and may require port facilities to unload their cargo, their larger capacity allows them to transport heavy [[armoured forces]] or bulky supplies that only the largest strategic airlifters (such as the [[C-5 Galaxy]]) could normally handle, and in much greater quantities.<!-- ref littoral warfare here?-->

A state's sealift capabilities may include civilian-operated ships that normally operate by contract, but which can be chartered or commandeered during times of military necessity to supplement government-owned naval fleets. Some smaller navies have built multi-role vessels that combine sealift with other capabilities, such as those of a patrol frigate or a command-and-control vessel, the [[Royal Danish Navy]]'s {{Sclass|Absalon|frigate|0}} and the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]]'s multi-role vessel {{HMNZS|Canterbury|L421|6}} being examples.

==Civilian use==
Sealift refers to the re-supply of isolated communities with fuel, building materials, foodstuffs, vehicles and other goods. This is the most common method used for the coastal communities of [[northern Canada]] due to the lower cost and the larger capacity of ships and barges over aircraft. An annual occurrence in the Arctic, the sealift is usually performed between July and October, when the sea is ice free.

Typically two types of ships are used, the older, less-seen cargo ship and the more usual [[tugboat]]. While both types also haul [[barge]]s, the cargo ship also carries cargo on deck. Most Arctic communities do not have a port and [[Crane (machine)|cranes]] to unload the supplies but may have a simple dock. Where the community does not have a dock, the ship either must ground itself or the barges. Supplies are then removed by [[forklift truck]] which is also carried on board. The interior of the barges are used to carry fuel and other supplies are carried in [[Containerization|containers]] on deck.

==See also==
* [[Power projection]]
* [[United States Navy]] [[Military Sealift Command]]
* [[Royal Navy]]'s [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
* [[Littoral warfare]]
* [[Loss of Strength Gradient]]
* [[Seabasing]]
* [[Over-the-beach capability]]
*[[U.S. Merchant Marine Academy]]

{{Commons category|Sealift}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

* ''This article incorporates [[public domain]] text from the [[United States Department of Defense]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20000901003331/http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp4_01_2.pdf Joint Publication 4-01.2 Sealift Support to Joint Operations] ([[pdf]] document)
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/sealift.htm Sealift] - [[Federation of American Scientists]] Military Analysis Network
* [http://www.sealift.org/ Sealift Co-ordination Centre - NATO/EU sealift co-ordination]
* [http://cgs.gov.nu.ca/en/gov_services-purchase_sealift.aspx Government of Nunavut - sealift information]

[[Category:Military strategy]]
[[Category:Navies]]
[[Category:Maritime transport]]