New Ship Class Begins Operations in 7th Fleet

Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) entered the waters of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet July 24, marking the first Lewis and Clark-class multi-product combat logistics support ship in service in the 52 million-square-mile region.

Byrd replaces MSC combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS 3), which has been forward deployed supporting 7th Fleet since 1994.

Though the entry into the fleet's territorial waters was unceremonious, it signals a significant change for Logistics Group Western Pacific, also know as Commander Task Force 73, which will operationally control the ship while in theater.

"This ship will enable our command to provide the warfighter with a level of support that is unprecedented," said Rear Adm. Nora Tyson, CTF 73 commander. "It brings a much more robust capability to the fight."

The 689-foot-long underway replenishment vessel, known as a T-AKE, replaces the current capability of the Kilauea-class ammunition ships and Mars-class combat stores ships, and it also possesses the capability to refuel ships at sea.

"The combat stores ships are extremely capable and have developed a real 'can-do' culture for any mission in 7th Fleet. However, having the T-AKE as a one-stop logistics ship in the Navy's largest theater will significantly improve the flexibility of our operations," said Capt. Jim Smart, CTF 73 assistant chief of staff for logistics.

"While we say a sad farewell to Niagara Falls and honor her many years of fine service and her reputation for professional excellence, we welcome and are glad to have Byrd and its crew on the Navy team in the Western Pacific."

Byrd has a crew of 124 civil service mariners working for MSC as well as a military detachment of 11 Sailors who provide operational support and supply coordination. When needed, Byrd can also carry a supply detachment.

MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, merchant marine-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

Navy's Newest Replenishment Ship Launched in San Diego

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman José R. Rolón, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy’s newest underway replenishment vessel, USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4), was christened and launched from the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego on May 15.

“This ship is a great acquisition for United States and a great advancement for the Navy,” said Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter. “A great ship like this will provide the support for all the activities overseas for the next 40 or more years.”

USNS Byrd is the fourth ship in the Navy's new 11-ship T-AKE class and will deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy's carrier and expeditionary strike groups and other naval forces underway. T-AKEs have the largest cargo-carrying capacity and the largest flight deck of any combat logistics force ship.

“The T-AKE ship we will launch today is not just 250,000 tons of steel. It is 250,000 tons of quality, technology and support to the naval forces,” said Rear Adm. Charles H. Goddard, program executive officer, ships. “God bless the crew of USNS Richard E. Byrd and America.”

The 689-foot ship can deliver 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships.

Richard E. Byrd’s civil service master Capt. Robert Jaeger is excited to see his ship in the water and one step closer to carrying out its role in the fleet.

“She will increase the supporting capabilities,” said Jaeger. “Prior to the launching of the ship, it was just a constructed piece of metal, the moment it touched the water for the first time she became a ship -- and that is a wonderful feeling for me.”

USNS Byrd is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy's Military Sealift Command in November of this year and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 11 military personnel.

“This is all possible because of the really good team work between the Navy and the shipyard,” said Frederick J. Harris, president of NASSCO. “Without that teamwork we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this successfully.”

Navy to Christen USNS Byrd Today

The Navy will christen the USNS Richard E. Byrd at 7:30 p.m. PDT on May 15.

The launching ceremony for the newest ship in the Lewis and Clark class of underway replenishment ships will be held at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego.

The ship honors Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957), an explorer famous for his Antarctic expeditions and for leading the first expedition to fly over the North Pole. Like the legendary explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, for whom the first ship of the class was named, Byrd bravely volunteered to explore one of the most remote and harshest places on earth.

Due to his unquenchable thirst for exploration, he provided substantial contributions to the world's understanding of the Antarctic.

Following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912, Byrd became a naval aviator and pioneered many techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including drift indicators and bubble sextants. His expertise in this area resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path for the U.S. Navy's 1919 transatlantic crossing.

On May 9, 1926, Byrd and naval aviator Floyd Bennett attempted to fly over the North Pole. For this extraordinary heroic achievement, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by a special act of Congress.

Byrd departed the United States on Aug. 28, 1928, on his first Antarctic expedition. After World War II, he continued his exploration and led the largest Antarctic Expedition to date, Operation Highjump. This expedition involved 13 ships and 4,700 men who explored much of the little-known continent. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Byrd as officer in charge of U.S. Antarctic programs to command Operation Deep Freeze.

Rear Adm. Robert D. Reilly Jr., commander of Military Sealift Command, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Bolling Byrd Clark will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her father. The launching ceremony will be highlighted in the time-honored Navy tradition when the sponsor breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship "Richard E. Byrd."

The USNS Richard E. Byrd is the fourth ship in the Navy's new 11-ship T-AKE 1 class. T-AKE is a combat logistics force vessel that will replace the current capability of the T-AE 26 Kilauea-class ammunition ships, T-AFS 1 Mars class and T-AFS 8 Sirius class combat stores ships, and when operating with T-AO 187 Henry J. Kaiser class oiler ships, the T-AKE will replace the AOE 1 Sacramento-class, fast-combat support ships. To conduct vertical replenishment, the ship can carry and support two helicopters.

Designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing replenishment services to U.S., NATO and allied ships, the USNS Richard E. Byrd will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a worldwide forward presence. Ships such as the USNS Richard E. Byrd provide logistic lift from sources of supply either in port or at sea from specially equipped merchant ships. The ship will transfer cargo, such as ammunition, food, limited quantities of fuel, repair parts, ship store items, and expendable supplies and material, to ships and other naval warfare forces at sea.

The USNS Richard E. Byrd is 689 feet in length, has an overall beam of 106 feet, a navigational draft of 30 feet and displaces about 42,000 tons with a full load. Powered by a single-shaft diesel-electric propulsion system, the ship can reach a speed of 20 knots.

As part of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, the ship will be designated as a U.S. naval ship and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners. The ship will also have a military detachment of 11 sailors to provide operational support and supply coordination, and when needed, the ship will carry a helicopter detachment of 39 military personnel.