New tonnage and additional jobs for Seafarers took center stage April 4 in California when the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) launched the USNS Amelia Earhart.The newest ship in the Navy’s Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo/ammunition ships (T-AKE), the 698-foot vessel was launched during a nighttime ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. According to MSC, the ship slid into the water for the first time with red, white and blue streamers flowing from its bow and fireworks lighting the sky. Owned and operated by MSC, the USNS Earhart now is part of the command’s Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force and will be crewed by civil service mariners from the SIU’s Government Services Division. In addition to Seafarers and licensed mariners, the vessel also will be manned by a military detachment of 11 U.S. Navy sailors to provide supply coordination.
Among the nearly 1,000 people present during the christening ceremony were U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), MSC Commander Rear Adm. Robert Reilly Jr., and Logistics Group Western Pacific Commander Rear Adm. Nora Tyson. Davis delivered the ceremony’s principal address while Earhart’s niece, Amy Kleppner, served as ship’s sponsor. The launching ceremony included the time-honored Navy tradition of the sponsor breaking a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship.
Designated T-AKE 6, USNS Earhart is the sixth ship in the Navy’s new T-AKE class. These ships deliver ammunition, provisions, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy’s carrier strike groups at sea and other naval forces worldwide, allowing them to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time. The Earhart’s primary mission will be to deliver food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships. Like the other ships in the T-AKE class, the Earhart will have a sailing speed of 20 knots.
“Being able to refuel at sea is essential to our Navy’s ability to be forward deployed and remain strong in our global endeavors,” said Davis. “Today we bring this ship to life, and I look forward to the day we welcome her to the fleet.”
The vessel is named in honor of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. She received the award after completing a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart disappeared in 1937 over the central Pacific Ocean during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe.
Since May 2005, six vessels—the USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1), USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2), USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3), USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) and now the USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6)— have been delivered to MSC and crewed up by CIVMARS. The seventh ship of the class, the USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), currently is under construction at the San Diego shipyard.
Keel laying for USNS Wally Schirra, the eighth dry cargo-ammunition ship in the T-AKE program, took place in San Diego on April 14.
Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter recently named the ship in honor of the late Navy captain and original NASA pioneer. The Schirra is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the third quarter of 2009.
NASSCO on April 21 began construction of the ninth ship of the Lewis and Clark class. The ship will be named later and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the first quarter of 2010.
The T-AKE ship incorporates international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system to minimize operating costs over its projected 40-year service life. NASSCO has contracts to build 11 T-AKE ships. The Navy has options to build three additional ships for a total class of 14 vessels.
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