USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2)

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USNS Sacagawea passing USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) in the entrance to San Diego Bay
Sacagawea (right) passing USS Mobile Bay (CG-53)
Career United States Navy Ensign
Namesake: Sacagawea
Ordered: 18 October 2001
Laid down: 15 September 2004
Launched: 24 June 2006
In service: 27 February 2007
Motto: Leading the Way
Status: Active in service as of 2008
General characteristics
Class and type: Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship
Displacement: 23,852 tons light,
40,298 tons full,
16,446 tons dead
Length: 210 m (689 ft) overall,
199.3 m (654 ft) waterline
Beam: 32.3 m (106 ft) extreme,
32.3 m (106 ft) waterline
Draft: 9.1 m (30 ft) maximum,
9.4 m (31 ft) limit
Propulsion: Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6 kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Range: 14,000 nautical miles at 20 kt
(26,000 km at 37 km/h)
Capacity: • Max dry cargo weight:
  5,910 long tons (6,005 t)
• Max dry cargo volume:
  783,000 cubic feet (22,000 m³)
• Max cargo fuel weight:
  2,350 long tons (2,390 t)
• Cargo fuel volume:
  18,000 barrels (2,900 m³)
  (DFM: 10,500) (JP5:7,500)
Complement: 49 military, 123 civilian
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
Nulka decoy launchers
Armament: 2–6 × 12.7 mm machine guns
or 7.62 mm medium machine guns
Aircraft carried: two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Super Puma

USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, was the third ship operated by the United States Navy to be named for Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who acted as guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and one of the few United States Navy ships named for women.

The contract to build her was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 18 October 2001. Construction began in September of 2004 for a scheduled delivery in early 2007.

She was launched in June 2006. Two of Sacagawea's descendants, Lucy Diaz and Rachel Ariwite, were the ship's sponsors. She is home ported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, and made her first deployment at the end of 2007.

This vessel is the only USNS Sacagawea. However, other U.S. Navy vessels have been named USS Sacagawea.

Sacagawea conducts an underway replenishment with the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1), front, and the dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD-42) in the Persian Gulf, 18 March 2008.
Sacagawea conducts an underway replenishment with the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1), front, and the dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD-42) in the Persian Gulf, 18 March 2008.


[edit] References

Based on data from the Naval Vessel Register and press releases.

[edit] External links