Abstract: A transport system (10) for transporting a litter carrier (40) from one location onboard a first ship to a second location onboard another ship includes a retractable boom (12) having a stationary member (16) and a telescoping member (18) slidably engaged therein. Boom (12) also includes a hoist unit (28) which is operatively connected through a hoist cable (34) to carrier (40) to cause movement thereof. Carrier (40) includes acoustic rangefinders (50) and contact detectors (52) which are electrically coupled to a control circuit (60) located onboard one of the vessels through internal electrical conductors in hoist cable (34). Rangefinders (50) generate signals indicative of the distance between carrier (40) and a selected one of the ships. Contact detectors (52) provide signals which indicate whether carrier (40) is in transit or has landed onto a ship.