Maritime prepositioning ship

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.

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.

Capt Steven L. Bennett Class

SSG Edward A. Carter, Jr. Class

Buffalo Soldier Class

Maj. Bernard F. Fisher Class

1st Lt. Harry L. Martin Class

LCPL Roy M. Wheat Class

LTC John U. D. Page Class

High Speed Vessels

HSV 2 Class

Westpac Express Class

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

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

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.

See also

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.