The Maritime Subsidy Board has approved a Farrell Lines Incorporated request to charter the Austral Lightning and Austral Rainbow to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) for two years with three one-year optional extensions.

The 820-foot, 29,800-dwt barge and container carriers were built with the aid of construction-differential subsidy by Avondale Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans, La., in the early 70s. Prior to the approval of this charter they had been operated under operating-differential subsidy contract MA MSE-352.

Under the terms of the board's approval the ships will go off subsidy at the end of the voyages preceding the charter and will continue to operate without subsidy until their redelivery from MSC.