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Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ships T-AKE

Last updated: 29 Sep 2021

Description
The dry cargo/ammunition ships are operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. In this class of 14 ships, 12 ships provide multi-product combat logistics support to the Navy fleet. Two ships support the U.S. Marine Corps at sea as part of the Maritime Prepositioning Force.

As the Navy's newest CLF underway replenishment ships, the T-AKEs replace the Kilauea-class (T-AE 26) ammunition ships; Mars-class (T-AFS 1) and SIRIUS-class (T-AFS-8) combat stores ships. A T-AKE operating in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187) fleet replenishment oiler can be assigned in lieu of a T-AOE Fast Combat Support Ship.  

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 were built in San Diego by General Dynamics, NASSCO.  

General Characteristics Propulsion: Integrated electric propulsion, with generation at 6.6kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; single fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster
Length: 689 ft
Beam: 106 ft
Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed 20kts
Draft: 30 ft
Speed: 20 knots
Crew: 53 Civilian
Load: 6,675 tons dry cargo, 1,716 tons refrigerated stores, 18,000 bbls cargo fuel; Designed to carry 63 percent more cargo than previous AE and AFS classes.
Landing/Attack Craft: Air Cap: Two VERTREP capable helicopters
Ships:  
USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1), No homeport - Delivered June 20, 2006
USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2), No homeport - Delivered Feb. 27, 2007
USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3), No homeport - Delivered June 26, 2007
USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), No homeport - Delivered Jan. 8, 2008
USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5), No homeport - Delivered June 5, 2008
USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6), No homeport - Delivered Oct. 30, 2008
USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), No homeport - Delivered March 4, 2009
USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8), No homeport - Delivered Sept. 1, 2009
Matthew C. Perry (T-AKE 9), No homeport - Delivered Feb. 24, 2010 
USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10), No homeport - Delivered July 14, 2010
Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11), No homeport - Delivered Feb. 23, 2011 
William McLean (T-AKE 12), No homeport - Construction began Fall 2009
USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13), No homeport - Delivered April 24, 2012 
USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14), No homeport - Delivered October 24, 2012  

MSC's USNS Charles Drew Conducts Trilateral Replenishment-at-Sea

Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps. Length: 689 ft, Beam: 106 ft, Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed: 20 knots, Civilian: 129. Government-owned
130728-N-NZ935-313 - CORAL SEA (July 28, 2013) The Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T AKE 10) approaches the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) to conduct an underway replenishment. Denver is on patrol with the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group and is conducting routine joint-force operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua Hammond/Released)
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps. Length: 689 ft, Beam: 106 ft, Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed: 20 knots, Civilian: 129. Government-owned
130905-N-GF386-060 - GULF OF OMAN (Sept. 5, 2013) The Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan Vargas/Released)
Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers exits San Diego Bay to complete its sea trials before delivery to MSC Feb. 23. The newest of MSC's 11 dry/cargo ammunition ships, Chambers and its crew of 104 civil service mariners and 11 Navy sailors will play a crucial role delivering ammunition and other supplies to Navy ships at sea, allowing them to remain underway and combat ready for extended periods of time. (General Dynamics NASSCO photo)
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps. Length: 689 ft, Beam: 106 ft, Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed: 20 knots, Civilian: 129. Government-owned
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps. Length: 689 ft, Beam: 106 ft, Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed: 20 knots, Civilian: 129. Government-owned
Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship. Deliver supplies to customer ships at sea — ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Replace T-AE, T-AFS and T-AOE when operating with T-AO. Two dedicated ships provide ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel for the U.S. Marine Corps. Length: 689 ft, Beam: 106 ft, Displacement: 41,000 tons, Speed: 20 knots, Civilian: 129. Government-owned

Point of Contact
Military Sealift Command
Public Affairs

471 East C. St.
Norfolk, VA 23511-2419

(757) 443-2839

 

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