U.S. Navy Fact Sheet

Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ships  - T-AKE

Description
The dry cargo/ammunition ships are operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. In this class of an expected 14 ships, 11 are slated to provide multi-product combat logistics support to the Navy fleet and three are slated to preposition U.S. Marine Corps Cargo at sea as part of the Maritime Prepositionoing Force.

The Navy's 10 operational T-AKEs are currently conducting Combat Logistics Force (CLF) missions.

As the Navy’s newest CLF underway replenishment ships, the T-AKEs will replace the current capability of the Kilauea-class (T-AE 26) ammunition ships; Mars-class (T-AFS 1) combat stores ships; and, when operating in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187) fleet replenishment oiler, the Sacramento-class (AOE 1) fast combat support ships. The T-AKE acquisition program calls for up to 14 ships and has a budget of more than $6 billion. The T-AKE acquisition program resides within the Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships - Support Ships Boats and Craft Program Office (PEO Ships/PMS 325).

Features
As auxiliary support ships, T-AKEs directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a forward presence. In their primary mission role, the T-AKEs provide logistic lift to deliver cargo (ammunition, food limited quantities of fuel, repair parts and ship store items) to U.S. and allied ships at sea. In their secondary mission, the T-AKEs may be required to operate in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187) fleet replenishment oiler as a substitute station ship to provide direct logistics support to the ships within a carrier strike group.

Background
The primary goal of the T-AKE program is to provide effective fleet underway replenishment capability at the lowest life cycle cost. To meet that goal, the ships are designed and constructed to commercial specifications & standards and certified/classed by the American Bureau of Shipping, United States Coast Guard, and other regulatory bodies. All are operated by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. They are being built in San Diego by General Dynamics, NASSCO.