Henry J. Kaiser class oiler

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USNS Yukon in the Pacific Ocean

The Henry J. Kaiser class is a class of fleet replenishment oilers which began construction in August of 1984. The class is comprised of eighteen underway replenishment oilers which are operated by Military Sealift Command to provide underway replenishment of fuel to United States Navy combat ships and jet fuel for aircraft aboard aircraft carriers at sea.

1 Overview
2 Naming
3 General characteristics
4 Ships

[edit] Overview

There are stations on both sides of each ship for underway replenishment of fuel and stores. The ships in this class have a small capacity for fresh and frozen food goods as well as other materials. There are two dry cargo transfer rigs.

USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201), USNS Laramie (T-AO-203), and USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204) and are equipped with double hulls to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Hull separation is 1.83 m at the sides and 1.98 m on the bottom. Two ships of the class, USNS Benjamin Isherwood (T-AO-191) and USNS Henry Eckford (T-AO-192), were cancelled prior to completion. Originally contracted with Pennsylvania Shipbuilding Company which defaulted on the contract, later work was completed by Tampa Shipyards of American Ship Building Company. Disputes over corrective construction and materials costs resulted in termination of the build contracts for these two vessels.

[edit] Naming

The class is named for industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.

[edit] General characteristics

Builder: Avondale Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
Power Plant: Two Colt-Pielstick 10 PC4.2 V 570 diesels; 34,442 hp(m) (25.7 MW) sustained; Two shafts; cp props
Length: 677.5 ft (206.5 m)
Beam: 97.5 ft (29.7 m)
Displacement: 40,700 long tons (41,353 metric tons) light; 42,000 long tons (42,674 metric tons) [T-AO-201, 203-204] full load
Capacity: 180,000; 159,000 [T-AO-201, 203-204] barrels of fuel oil or aviation fuel
Cargo space: 7,400 ft² of dry stores space, room for 128 pallets in refrigerated stores
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Aircraft: Helicopter platform only
Crew: 66 to 89 civilian, 7 to 24 military personnel

[edit] Ships

USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) (reduced operating status as of 2005)
USNS Joshua Humphreys (T-AO-188) (decommissioned 1996, recommissioned 2005)
USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189)
USNS Andrew J. Higgins (T-AO-190) (Inactive, out of service, in reserve as of May 1996)
USNS Benjamin Isherwood (T-AO-191) (cancelled when 95% complete)
USNS Henry Eckford (T-AO-192) (cancelled when 84% complete)
USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO-193)
USNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194)
USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO-195)
USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196)
USNS Pecos (T-AO-197)
USNS Big Horn (T-AO-198)
USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO-199)
USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200)
USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201)
USNS Yukon (T-AO-202)
USNS Laramie (T-AO-203)
USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204)