After completing sea trials off the southern California coast, dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) was delivered to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) on Feb. 27.The ship, designated T-AKE, is the second in a new class of combat logistics force ships and is able to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water, and petroleum products to the Navy’s carrier and expeditionary strike groups and other Naval forces.
Designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing underway replenishment services, Sacagawea will directly contribute to the Navy’s ability to maintain a forward presence.
“This is a great day for Military Sealift Command, the Naval Sea Systems Command and the General Dynamics/NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding Company) team,” said Sacagawea’s Civil Service Master Capt. George McCarthy. “We look forward to joining the fleet and the global war on terrorism.”
An advantage of this type of ship is its ability to carry multiple products such as cargo, food and spare parts. The T-AKE will replace aging, single-mission ships such as Kilauea-class ammunition ships and Mars- and Sirius-class combat stores ships that are nearing the end of their service lives.
The T-AKE ships will provide logistic lift from supply sources either in port or at sea and will transfer cargo that includes ammunition, food, fuel, repair parts, and expendable supplies and material to station ships and other naval forces at sea.
The Sacagawea is the second of nine ships of its class built by General Dynamic’s National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego. The U.S. Navy has awarded NASSCO six contracts valued at approximately $2.8 billion for the design and construction of the ships.
MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, chart ocean bottoms, conduct undersea surveillance, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military equipment and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces.