Maritime Prepositioning ship

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USNS PFC Dewayne T. Williams, USNS Dahl, and USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless anchored off the coast of Saipan in June 2011

The 31 Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS) are part of the United States Military Sealift Command's (MSC) Prepositioning Program. They are strategically positioned around the globe to support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency. Most are named after Medal of Honor recipients from the service they support.[1][2][3] The MPS ships are assigned to three Maritime Prepositioning Ship squadrons located in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean at Diego Garcia and the Western Pacific Ocean at Guam and Saipan. The MPS ships in each squadron have sufficient equipment, supplies and ammunition to support a Marine Air-Ground Task Force for 30 days. The MPS ships are self-sustaining, with cranes to unload at sea or pierside.

MSC chartered the first two ship classes in the MPS role (the Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr. and Sergeant Matej Kocak classes) from civilian shipping lines and converted them. Later ships were purpose-built.

Ships

Sergeant Matej Kocak Class

PFC. Eugene A. Obregon

The Sergeant Matej Kocak Class, the second class of MPS ships chartered by MSC, also gained 157 feet (48 m) amidships and a helicopter deck after conversion. These ships, delivered to MSC in the mid-1980s, built at Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania and converted at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego. They were previously owned by Waterman Steamship Corporation but recently sold to MSC and now operated by Keystone Shipping Co.

  • Builder: Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, PA; General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, MA
  • Converted: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA
  • Power Plant: 2 boilers; 2 GE turbines; 30,000 hp (22 MW); 1 shaft
  • Length: 821 feet (250.2 m)
  • Beam: 105.6 feet (32.2 m)
  • Displacement: 48,754 tons (49,536 metric tons) full load
  • Cargo capacity: Containers, 532; ro-ro, 152,236 ft² (14,143 m²); JP-5 barrels, 20,290; DF-2 barrels, 12,355; Mogas barrels, 3,717; stable water, 2,189; cranes, 2 twin 50 ton and 1-30 ton gantry
  • Helicopters: platform only
  • Speed: 20 knots
  • Ships:
    • USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak (T-AK 3005) (formerly SS Sgt. Matej Kocak, SS John B. Waterman)
    • USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon (T-AK 3006) (formerly SS PFC Eugene A. Obregon, SS Thomas Heywood)
    • USNS Maj. Stephen W. Pless (T-AK 3007) (formerly SS Maj. Stephen W. Pless, SS Charles Carroll)
  • Crew: 34 civilians, 10 technicians

2nd Lieutenant John P. Bobo Class

The 2nd Lieutenant John P. Bobo Class ships are new construction ships delivered to MSC in the mid-1980s from General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, Mass. They were owned by American Overseas Marine (AMSEA) but have been recently sold to MSC and are now operated by Maersk Line, Limited.

  • Builders: General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, MA
  • Power Plant: 2 Stork-Werkspoor 16TM410 diesels; 27,000 hp (20 MW) sustained; 1 Omnithruster JT1000 bow thruster 1,000 hp (750 kW)
  • Length: 675.2 feet (205.8 m)
  • Beam: 105.5 feet (32.2 m)
  • Displacement: 44,330 tons (45,041 metric tons) full load
  • Cargo capacity: Containers, 530; ro-ro, 152,185 ft² (14,138 m²); JP-5 barrels, 20,776; DF-2 barrels, 13,334; Mogas barrels, 4,880; stable water, 2,357; cranes, 1 single and 2 twin 39 ton
  • Helicopters: platform only
  • Speed: 18 knots
  • Ships:
    • USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008) (formerly MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo)
    • USNS PFC Dewayne T. Williams (T-AK-3009) (formerly MV PFC Dewayne T. Williams)
    • USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK 3010) (formerly MV 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez)
    • USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus (T-AK 3011) (formerly MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus)
    • USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK 3012) (formerly MV Sgt. William R. Button)
  • Crew: 38 civilians, 10 technicians

Capt Steven L. Bennett Class

SSG Edward A. Carter, Jr. Class

  • Length: 949.8 feet (289.5 m)
  • Beam: 105.9 feet (32.3 m)
  • Draft: 35 feet (11 m)
  • Displacement: 74,500 long tons
  • Speed: 18 knots
  • Civilian: 22 contract mariners
    • MV SSG Edward A. Carter, Jr. (T-AK 4544)

Buffalo Soldier Class

  • Length: 670 feet (200 m)
  • Beam: 87 feet (27 m)
  • Draft: 34 feet (10 m), six inches
  • Displacement: 26,378 long tons
  • Speed: 16 knots
  • Civilian: 21 contract mariners
    • MV TSgt John A. Chapman (T-AK 323)

Maj. Bernard F. Fisher Class

1st Lt. Harry L. Martin Class

  • Length: 754 feet (230 m)
  • Beam: 105 feet, 10 inches
  • Draft: 35 feet, 11 inches
  • Displacement: 51,531 long tons
  • Speed: 17 knots
  • Civilian: 25 contract mariners

LCPL Roy M. Wheat Class

  • Length: 863 feet 2 inches
  • Beam: 98 feet 5 inches
  • Draft: 35 feet (11 m)
  • Displacement: 50,570 long tons
  • Speed: 20.5 knots
  • Civilian: 29 contract mariners
    • USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat (T-AK 3016)

LTC John U. D. Page Class

  • Length: 949.8 feet (289.5 m)
  • Beam: 105.9 feet (32.3 m)
  • Draft: 35 feet (11 m)
  • Displacement: 74,500 long tons
  • Speed: 18 knots
  • Civilian: 20 contract mariners
    • MV LTC John U. D. Page (T-AK 4543)

High Speed Vessels

HSV 2 Class

  • Length: 331 feet 4 inches
  • Beam: 87 feet 5 inches
  • Draft: 11 feet (3.4 m)
  • Displacement: 1,463.6 short tons
  • Speed: 35 knots
  • Civilian: 17 contract mariners
  • Military: as required by mission

Westpac Express Class

  • Length: 331 feet (101 m)
  • Beam: 87 feet (27 m)
  • Draft: 14 feet (4.3 m)
  • Displacement: NOTE: 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) of cargo capacity, designed for roll-on/roll-off
  • Speed: 33 knots
  • Civilian: 14 contract mariners

Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships

Watson Class

The Watson Class are a class of LMSR built at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego

Tankers

Offshore Petroleum Distribution System

  • Length: 348.5 feet (106.2 m)
  • Beam: 70 feet (21 m)
  • Draft: 26.0 feet (7.9 m)
  • Displacement:
  • Speed: 15 knots
  • Civilian: 26 contract mariners
    • MV VADM K. R. Wheeler (T-AG 5001)

Activated Ready Reserve Fleet Ships

The following are part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet but have been activated and are pre-positioned.

Modular Cargo Delivery System Ship

  • Length: 565 feet (172 m)
  • Beam: 76 feet (23 m)
  • Draft: 31 feet (9.4 m)
  • Displacement: 22,929 long tons
  • Speed: 17.0 knots
  • Civilian: 38 contract mariners
    • SS Cape Jacob (T-AK 5029)

Wright Class

Dedicated to USMC aviation logistics support.

Former Ships

Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr. class

The Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr. Class is the original class of MPS ships chartered by Military Sealift Command. The five ships are Maersk Line ships converted by Bethlehem Steel. During conversion, the ships gained an additional 157 feet (48 m) amidships and a helicopter landing pad, among other things. They have since been returned to Maersk for commercial use and are no longer part of the MPS program.

  • Builder: Odense Staalskibsvaerft A/S, Lindo
  • Power Plant: 1 Sulzer 7RND76M diesel; 16,800 hp (13 MW); 1 shaft; bow thruster
  • Length: 755 feet (230 m)
  • Beam: 90 feet (27.4 m)
  • Displacement: 46,552 tons (47,299 t) full load
  • Speed: 17.5 knots (32 km/h)
  • Ships:
    • MV Cpl. Louis J. Hauge, Jr. (T-AK 3000) (formerly MV Estelle Maersk)
    • MV PFC William B. Baugh (T-AK 3001) (formerly MV Eleo Maersk)
    • MV PFC James Anderson, Jr. (T-AK 3002) (formerly MV Emma Maersk)
    • MV 1st Lt. Alex Bonnyman (T-AK 3003) (formerly MV Emilie Maersk)
    • MV Pvt. Franklin J. Phillips (T-AK 3004) (formerly Pvt. Harry Fisher, MV Evelyn Maersk)
  • Crew: 32 civilians, 10 technicians

See also

  • MV Buffalo Soldier
  • MV Strong Virginian

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ "Military Sealift Command Ship Inventory". United States Navy Military Sealift Command. Retrieved 2012-03-02. 
  2. ↑ Chilcoat, BGen Robert A.; Henderson, Maj David S. (Spring 1994). "Army Prepositioning Afloat" (PDF). Joint Force Quarterly (Washington, D.C.: National Defense University): 51–57. Retrieved 2012-03-02. 
  3. ↑ "Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-3)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2012-03-02. 
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