The ''John Lewis'' class is a
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
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of fleet
replenishment oiler
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
The ...
s which began construction in September 2018. The class will comprise twenty oilers which will be operated by
Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...
to provide underway replenishment of fuel and limited amounts of dry cargo to
United States Navy carrier strike groups,
amphibious ready groups, and other surface forces to allow them to operate worldwide.
Design
The ''John Lewis''-class ships are double-hulled and constructed to commercial standards and OPNAVINST 9070.1 requirements. They classed to
American Bureau of Shipping
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
steel vessel rules. The ships have capabilities similar to the s and rely on existing technology.
The ships can carry 156,000 barrels of oil and have increased dry cargo storage over the ''Henry J. Kaiser'' class. There are stations on both sides of each ship for
underway replenishment of fuel and stores, and will have two dry cargo transfer rigs. The ''John Lewis''-class ships have limited means of self-defense when delivered, including defenses against
mines and
torpedoes, and will be equipped with crew-served weapons which will be operated by embarked Navy Expeditionary Security Teams for limited self-defense ability against small boat attack. The ships have space, weight, and power reserved for additional self-defense systems, including
close-in weapon systems (CIWS) or SeaRAM, and an anti-torpedo torpedo defense system. Even with additional self-defense systems installed the ships will still require escort if operating in a higher threat environment.
History
On 30 June 2016,
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) was awarded detailed design and construction for six ''John Lewis''-class replenishment oilers.
NASSCO began construction on ''John Lewis'' on 20 September 2018, and began construction on ''Harvey Milk'' on 3 September 2020.
In January 2020 it was announced the lead ship delivery estimate had been delayed from November 2020 until June 2021 due to delays in delivery of gear and flooding of a graving dock.
Naming
The class is named for its
lead ship, ''John Lewis'', which in turn is named for
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician and civil rights leader
John Lewis. The remaining ''John Lewis''-class oilers will be named after prominent civil rights leaders and activists.
Ships
References
{{John Lewis-class oiler
Auxiliary replenishment ship classes
Ships of the United States Navy