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Home» News»U.S. Navy Christens First John Lewis-class T-AO Fleet Oiler
U.S. Navy Christens First John Lewis-class T-AO Fleet Oiler
Christening ceremony of USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) in San Diego.

U.S. Navy Christens First John Lewis-class T-AO Fleet Oiler

USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the first ship in the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program, was christened July 17 during a ceremony in San Diego.

Xavier Vavasseur 18 Jul 2021

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), served as the principal speaker at the ceremony:

“As House Speaker, I am deeply honored to lead this Congressional delegation of many friends of our beloved late Congressman John Lewis to honor his beautiful and saintly life,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “John Lewis was a warrior for freedom and, as a titan of the civil rights movement, his courage and goodness helped transformed our nation. In the halls of the Capitol, he was fearless in his pursuit of a more perfect union, whether fighting to defend voting rights, end anti-LGBTQ discrimination or respect the dignity and worth of every person.”

In 2016, General Dynamics NASSCO was awarded the contract by the U.S. Navy for the detailed design and construction of the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class (T-AO 205), previously known as the TAO(X). The contract calls for the design and construction of six 742-foot-long oilers with a full load displacement of 49,850 tons. Designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the oilers have the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots.

The John Lewis-class ships are based on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187 Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy ships and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force and will become the backbone of the fuel delivery system.

In addition to the christening of this ship, three ships in the T-AO class fleet oiler program for the U.S. Navy – the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), the future USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), and the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) – are currently under construction. The second ship, the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) is scheduled to launch later this year.

John Lewis-class main characteristics

USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205)
USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205). General Dynamics NASSCO picture
TypeFleet replenishment oiler
Displacement49,850 tons full load
Length746 ft (227.4 m)
Beam106 ft 5 in (32.4 m)
Draft33.5 ft (10.2 m) maximum
PropulsionTwo medium-speed Fairbanks-Morse MAN 12V48/60CR diesel engines, two shafts, propellers
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Endurance6,147 nmi (11,384 km; 7,074 mi)
Complement125 total
Electronic warfare
& decoys
AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
ArmamentMultiple .50 caliber machine guns. Space, weight, and power reservations for Phalanx or SeaRAM CIWS
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter flight deck
UNREP capabilities:5 refueling stations
2 dry cargo transfer rigs
John Lewis-class NASSCO US Navy 2021-07-18
Tags John Lewis-class NASSCO US Navy
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Authors

Posted by : Xavier Vavasseur
Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.

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