NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego awarded an urgent contract to fuel the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) with 1.7 million gallons of JP-5 jet fuel—the second San Diego-based carrier to onload jet fuel in the past two weeks—amid large scale military exercises across the Pacific.
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returned to San Diego seven months ago after spending five combat-heavy months in 5th and 7th Fleet, only to depart again on surge orders from Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific (COMNAVAIRPAC). The orders came late last month, according to contract documents reviewed by Naval News.
The move comes amid DLE 2025, a U.S. Air Force exercise centered around Resolute Force Pacific, an exercise simulating war against China, and Han Kuang, Taiwan’s annual national defense exercises simulating defense against an invading force. The U.S. Navy is also participating in Talisman Sabre, a multinational exercise in Australia with 19 nations and over 30,000 personnel.
The Lincoln was set to depart San Diego next month for Northern Edge 2025, scheduled to take place in Alaska from August 14-28. Instead, the carrier will onload fuel in the coming days to depart well ahead of schedule.
“Award of a contract, on an urgent basis for the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), per COMNAVAIRPAC guidance, is required to load fuel and support flight operations in accordance with accelerated operational schedules.”
Due to the “compelling urgency” of the matter, the U.S. Navy exercised its authority to limit the number of bids and proposals to just one—the only California-based company capable of fulfilling the request. Jankovich Company, based in San Pedro, California, will fuel the carrier with two barges that will travel between Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) and Naval Air Station North Island Berth Lima where the Lincoln is moored.
NBPL officials reported that the base’s Fuel Depot, which can transfer 300,000 gallons of fuel per hour, would not be able to accommodate COMNAVAIRPAC’s request for expedited fueling due to the urgency required and the number of ships it must transport fuel to. Fuel will still be sourced from NBPL, but the two barges will shuttle fuel from the Fuel Depot to NAS North Island continuously until all 1.7 million gallons of requested JP-5 is delivered.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) received fuel in the same manner late last month. The Roosevelt onloaded 1.2 million gallons of JP-5 between June 23-25, though It is unclear if the Roosevelt will also deploy. It returned to San Diego last October after a nine month deployment to the Middle East and entered a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period that tentatively ended on June 30 according to similar U.S. Navy contracting documents. Public affairs releases suggest the ship is still in a PIA.
For the Lincoln, the fuel onloading for rapid deployment is much more urgent.
FLCSD did not post requests for quotes (RFQs), solicitations, or work proposals to the public like it did with the Roosevelt, opting instead for a rapid acquisition from Jankovich Company at a cost of $412,000.
“Without an immediate award, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) will not be able to meet its mission requirements and critical mission operations will be delayed… …Due to the urgency of this specific requirement, there isn’t enough time to post a request for quotes. Since these services are of such unusual and compelling urgency, the agency is permitted to limit the number of sources from which it solicits bids or proposals, full and open competition need not be provided for.”
Ultimately, the Abraham Lincoln will deploy sooner than expected. It is unclear what prompted COMNAVFOR to move the time table forward.
