Fast combat support ship

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The fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE-8) conducting a replenishment at sea.

The fast combat support ship (AOE) is the United States Navy's largest combat logistics ship, designed as oiler, ammunition and supply ship. All fast combat support ships currently in service are operated by Military Sealift Command (MSC). The AOE has the speed and armament to keep up with carrier battle groups. It rapidly replenishes Navy task forces and can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil (28,000 m³), 2,150 tons of ammunition, 500 tons of dry stores and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. It receives petroleum products, ammunition and stores from shuttle ships and redistributes these items simultaneously to carrier battle group ships. This reduces the vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing alongside time.

Congress appropriated the funds for the lead ship of T-AOE 6 (Supply class) in 1987, which is currently the only ship class in this category. The AOE 1, (Sacramento) class, was retired in late 2005, making the Supply class the only ship class currently in this ship classification.

[edit] General characteristics, Supply class

Builders: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California.
Power Plant: four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines; two shafts; 105,000 hp (78 MW)
Length: 754 ft (229.9 m)
Beam: 107 ft (32.6 m)
Displacement: 48,800 tons full load
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h)
Aircraft: Three Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters
Ships:
- USNS Supply (T-AOE-6), Earle, New Jersey
- USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7), Bremerton, Washington
- USNS Arctic (T-AOE-8), Earle, New Jersey
- USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10), Bremerton, Washington
Crew: 30 military, 300 civilians merchant marines
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems, two 25 mm automatic cannon, 4 12.7x99 mm M2 heavy machine guns or 4 M240G 7.62x51 mm medium machine guns. The missiles, Phalanx units and 25 mm cannons have been deleted as part of the ships' conversion to civilian operation, though in theory all but the missile mounting could be reinstalled if needed. Due to the basic inadequacy of the Vulcan Phalanx, it is more likely that RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles would be installed in their place were the ships to be re-militarized.
Date Deployed: February 26, 1994 — USS Supply (AOE 6)

[edit] General characteristics, Sacramento Class

Builders:
- AOE 1, 3, 4, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
- AOE 2, New York Shipbuilding Corporation
Unit Cost: $458-568 million
Power Plant: Four boilers, geared turbines, two shafts, 100,000 shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Length: 793 ft (237.9 m)
Beam: 107 ft (32.1 m)
Displacement: 53,000 tons full load
Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h)
Aircraft: Two Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters
Ships:
Crew: 30 military, 300 civilian merchant marines
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems, two 25 mm automatic cannon, 4 12.7x99 mm M2 heavy machine guns or 4 M240G 7.62x51 mm medium machine guns. The missiles, Phalanx units and 25 mm cannons have been deleted as part of the ships' conversion to civilian operation, though in theory all but the missile mounting could be reinstalled if needed (if the ships were to be recommissioned).
Date Deployed: March 14, 1964 — USS Sacramento (AOE 1)