From MC1 Jonathan Trejo, USS Frank Cable
Frank Cable, U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command (MSC) civilian mariners, will conduct expeditionary maintenance and logistics in support of national security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
“Our crew has done an exceptional job to prepare for deployment,” said Capt. Albert Alarcon, Frank Cable‘s commanding officer. “We are ready to execute our expeditionary mission, which will continue to advance our Navy’s warfighting capabilities across the Pacific Theater.”
This deployment will be the ship’s first since turning over lead maintenance activity responsibilities with the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) in September.
“Our combined Navy and civilian mariner team has worked hard to prepare for this expeditionary mission,” said Capt. Patrick Peck, MSC Ship’s Master. “This gives us a chance to show our capabilities throughout the region and demonstrate that ‘We Are Ready, and We Deliver’!”
For many Frank Cable Sailors, this is their first deployment in the Navy. Some of those Sailors arrived just in time to finish lead tender turnover and make Frank Cable’s first patrol as the expeditionary unit.
“It’s a great experience to be part of the Frank Cable crew,” said Hull Maintenance Technician Fireman Steven Berlinger. “I feel fortunate to have gotten here before the ship left homeport for our first patrol.”
Prior to deploying, the ship successfully completed sea trials, which included a variety of simulated and live events ensuring the ship is capable of a full spectrum of expeditionary operations.
Frank Cable, forward-deployed to the island of Guam, repairs, rearms, and reprovisions submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region.
-Ends-
Naval News comments:
The U.S. Navy has two aging 40+ year old Submarine Tenders, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USS Frank Cable (AS 40). Both are forward-deployed and based at Apra Harbor, Guam. They deploy throughout the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, repairing U.S. Navy ships and submarines in that theater from Japan to the Persian Gulf. Both are intended to serve until the end of the 2020s. As for their potential replacement, the U.S. Navy previously told Naval News:
“As reflected in the Dec. 9, 2020 Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels, USNS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USNS Frank Cable (AS 40) will be retired in 2029 and 2030, respectively, while the Navy intends to procure two new AS(X) tenders to replace these ships following Detail Design completion.”
LT Lewis Aldridge, CHINFO News Desk
- Ship specifications:
– Length: 644 feet
– Beam: 85 feet
– Displacement: 23,000 tons
– Draft: 28 feet
– Speed: 20 knots
– Propulsion: Oil-fired steam turbine
– Crew: Emory S. Land: 292 officers and enlisted, 158 CIVMARs; Frank
Cable: 206 officers and enlisted, 158 Civilian Mariners (CIVMARs)
– Bunks: 847
– Compartments: 913
– Small Boats: 7 - One 30-ton crane located on the boat deck, two 5-ton cranes (one on each side).
- Ship can be divided into two sections, “Hull” and “Repair.” “Hull” side
maintains the ship and crew while “Repair” takes care of tended submarines and
surface ships. - Repair department performs intermediate-level and limited depot-level repairs on
5th/7th Fleet submarines in addition to surface ships. Repair department has 26
repair shops that offer various repair services to the fleet.
