Navsea press release
Delivery follows the completion of Integrated Sea Trials where the ship’s readiness and capabilities are tested and validated to delivery requirements.
“This delivery is a significant milestone as we bring another oiler to our fleet and increase our replenishment underway capabilities.This is the final stepping stone in getting this essential ship to our civilian mariners in need of its tools.”John Lighthammer, program manager, Auxiliary and Special Mission Ships, Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships).
John Lewis-class ships (T-AOs) are operated by Military Sealift Command and feature substantial volume for oil; significant dry cargo capacity; and aviation capability. T-AOs provide additional capacity to the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force and are a cornerstone of the Navy’s fuel delivery system.
General Dynamics NASSCO, the shipbuilder, is also in production on T-AOs USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 211), and USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212). The future USNS Harriet Tubman (T-AO 213) and USNS Dolores Huerta (T-AO 214) are under contract. Additionally, a Block Buy contract was issued in September 2024 for the detail design and construction of T-AO 214-221.
PEO Ships, one of the Department of Defense’s largest acquisition organizations, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships and craft, and auxiliary ships, including special mission ships, sealift ships and support ships.
-End-
John Lewis-class main characteristics
The U.S. Navy procured its first John Lewis (TAO-205) class oiler in FY2016, and a total of eight have been procured through FY2022, including the seventh and eighth in FY2022. The first six were procured under a block buy contract authorized by Section 127 of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1356/P.L. 114-92 of November 25, 2015). TAO-205s are being built by General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD/NASSCO) of San Diego, CA.
Current U.S. Navy plans call for procuring a total of 20 TAO-205s. The Navy’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $794.7 million for the procurement of the ninth TAO-205 class ship, and an additional $128.1 million in cost-to-complete procurement funding to cover cost growth on TAO205s procured in prior years.
Here are the main characteristics of the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler.
| Type | Fleet replenishment oiler |
| Displacement | 49,850 tons full load |
| Length | 746 ft (227.4 m) |
| Beam | 106 ft 5 in (32.4 m) |
| Draft | 33.5 ft (10.2 m) maximum |
| Propulsion | Two medium-speed Fairbanks-Morse MAN 12V48/60CR diesel engines, two shafts, propellers |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Endurance | 6,147 nmi (11,384 km; 7,074 mi) |
| Complement | 125 total |
| Electronic warfare & decoys | AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures |
| Armament | Multiple .50 caliber machine guns. Space, weight, and power reservations for Phalanx or SeaRAM CIWS |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter flight deck |
| UNREP capabilities: | 5 refueling stations 2 dry cargo transfer rigs |
