Royal Radictistani Merchant Marine
The Royal Radictistani Merchant Marine comprises civilian-owned merchant vessels of the Grand Duchy of Radictistan operated either by the private sector or as naval auxiliaries in times of war. The Merchant Marine has the status of a civilian auxiliary of the Royal Radictistan Navy but does not operate as part of the military except when called up in time of war.
The Merchant Marine fleet includes 394 ships of over one thousand tons flying the Radictistani ensign. These include bulk carriers (25), general cargo vessels (40), chemical tankers (39), container vessels (102), LNG tankers (7), petroleum tankers (18), reefers (17), vehicle carriers (2), and passenger vessels (6). The 517 Radictistani-owned but foreign-flagged ships are not part of the Merchant Marine.
Civil Reserve Fleet
While all Radictistan-flagged merchant ships are subject to call-up for government use in times of crisis, the government prefers a more organized systems where certain important ships are kept ready to be activated with little notice. This arrangement is the Civil Reserve Fleet. Participating shipping companies register their ships with the government and receive subsidies for the ships' upkeep to more exacting standards than are usual within the merchant marine. All CRF ships must be able to be activated for military use within four weeks of receiving a requisition order. The CRF consists of 145 ships, including all petroleum tankers, vehicle carriers, and large passenger vessels.
Shipboard operations
Radictistani commercial vessels operate under the usual international standards, the crews being divided into a deck department, an engineering department, and a steward's department. A typical Radictistani oceangoing merchant ship will have two or three deck officers in addition to the captain, a chief engineer plus two or more assistant engineers, and a number of unlicensed mariners. Radictistani ships operate under a standard four hour watch system with the Chief Officer standing the 4-8 navigation watch, the Second Officer the 12-4 watch, and the Third Officer the 8-12 watch. Traditionally the Second Officer is responsible for navigation and the Third Officer for maintaining safety equipment. The deck watch system is duplicated by the engineering department.
Personnel
About sixty-three thousand merchant mariners are employed by the Radictistani merchant marine. This includes about twenty-four thousand deck officers and ten thousand engineers. In addition, many Radictistani seamen work on foreign-owned and flagged ships.
Training
Licensed merchant mariners are trained at ten maritime academies accredited by the Royal Maritime Police. Most are either private or county institutions. All of these schools offer a standard four year course of instruction culminating in a Bachelor of Science degree and a license as either Third Officer or Third Assistant Engineer. All merchant marine cadets at these institutions spend part of their second and third years of study onboard Radictistan-flagged merchant ships participating in actual maritime activities. After graduation, merchant marine officer graduates are required to maintain their credentials for at least eight years if their education was publicly funded.
Two Radictistani maritime academies stand out. The Brightburg Maritime Academy and Kalanach Maritime Academy are operated by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and funded from the national budget. Students at these institutions experience a more regimented, quasi-military life. In addition to their traditional maritime studies, these cadets are trained as reserve naval officers and receive commissions into the Royal Naval Reserve upon graduation.
Radictistani shipping companies
- Star Line
- Kazdan Shipping Line
- Ostnav Shipping Line
- Rothram Merchant Marine (a subsidiary of Rothram Energy)
- Island Express Lines