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Fleet Replenishment Oilers T-AO

Last updated: 25 Feb 2022

Description
Fifteen fleet replenishment oilers are operated by Military Sealift Command (MSC) and provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. Three of the newest MSC underway replenishment oilers have double hulls.
 
Features
Kaiser-class ships carry jet fuel, diesel fuel and lubricating oil, and small quantities of fresh and frozen provisions, stores, potable water and other items. Fleet replenishment oilers normally operate with five underway replenishment station capability when deployed. However, fleet oilers assigned to the Southern California and middle Pacific operating areas, as well as two of the four oilers operating in the western Atlantic Ocean, are crewed to operate with up to three underway replenishment stations capability to reduce costs.
 
Background
Three ships within the class Rappahannock, Laramie and Patuxent were built with double hulls in compliance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, although government-owned ships currently are exempt from the act.
 
Program Status
In June 2016, the Navy awarded a $3.2 billion contract to General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego for the design and construction of the first six ships of the Future Fleet Replenishment Ship, the John Lewis class (T-AO 205), formerly T-AO(X), with construction commencing in September 2018. The Navy plans to procure 20 ships of the new class in three different contract awards.
 
General Characteristics, Henry J. Kaiser Class
Builder: Avondale Shipyards
Propulsion: Two fully automatic diesel engines, twin shafts, controllable-pitch propellers, 32,540 horsepower
Length: 677.5 feet (206.5 meters)
Beam: 97.5 feet (29.7 meters)
Displacement: 41,225 tons full load (double hull), 40,900 tons full load (single hull)
Speed: 20 knots (23 mph)
Crew: 74-89 civilian mariners (CIVMARS)
Load: 180,000 barrels of aviation and diesel fuel
Aircraft: None (landing platform for vertical replenishment provided)
Homeport: No homeports assigned.
Ships:
USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Joshua Humphreys (T-AO 188) - Operates in the area of Persian Gulf
USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf
USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf
USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf
USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean
USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf
USNS Yukon (T-AO 202) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
USNS Laramie (T-AO 203) - Operates in the area of Atlantic/Mediterranean/Arabian Gulf
USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) - Operates in the area of Pacific/Arabian Gulf
 
General Characteristics, John Lewis Class
Builder: NASSCO
Propulsion: Twin shaft, geared medium speed diesels with PTO generators/PTI
Length: 227.3 meters
Beam: 32.2 meters
Displacement: 22,173 metric tons (lightship)
Speed: 20 knots
Crew: 99 civilian mariners (CIVMARS)
Load: Dry Stores Capacity: 1,576 m3 Freeze/Chill Capacity: 1,362 m3
Aircraft: None (landing platform for vertical replenishment can accommodate H-1, H-53, H-60, MV-22, and MSC's commercial logistics helicopters.)
Ships:
T-AO-205 John Lewis - Under construction
T-AO-206 Harvey Milk - Under construction
T-AO 207 Earl Warren - Under construction
T-AO 208 Robert F. Kennedy - Under contract
T-AO 209 Lucy Stone - Under contract
T-AO 210 Sojouner Truth - Under contract
T-AO 211 Thurgood Marshall - Named


030407-N-2515C-005 The Arabian Gulf (Apr. 7, 2003) -- USS Tarawa (LHA 1) receives fuel during an underway replenishment (UNREP) with Military Sealift Command Oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202). Tarawa is deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Pacific Ocean (Aug. 6, 2004) � Military Sealift Command oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202) steams away after conducting a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) evolution with USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group is one of seven carrier strike groups (CSGs) involved in Summer Pulse 2004, demonstrating the Navy's ability to provide credible combat power across the globe in five theaters with other U.S., allied, and coalition military forces. Summer Pulse is the Navy's first test of its new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). Kitty Hawk is the world's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, home based in Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Jason D. Landon (RELEASED) For more information go to: www.cffc.navy.mil/summerpulse04.htm

Point of Contact
Military Sealift Command
Public Affairs

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

(757) 443-2839

 

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