SS ''Regulus'' (T-AKR 292) is an ''Algol'' class vehicle cargo ship that is currently maintained by the

United States Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. Det ...

as part of the Military Sealift Command's

Ready Reserve Force The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...

(RRF). She was built as a high speed

container ship A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermoda ...

by A.G. Weser in Bremen,

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, hull no. 1383, for Sea-Land Service, Inc. and named SS ''Sea-Land Commerce'', USCG 545200, IMO 7302897.Cudahay 206 p. 265 Due to her high operating cost, she was sold to the United States Navy on 27 October 1981 as USNS ''Regulus'' (T-AK-292). In keeping with the pattern of the naming the Algol-class ships after bright stars, the ''Regulus'' was named after

Regulus Regulus is the brightest object in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation designated α Leonis, which is Latinized to Alpha Leonis, and abbreviated Alpha Leo or α Leo. Reg ...

, the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky.

Conversion

Conversion began on 29 June 1984 at National Steel and Shipbuilding in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Her cargo hold was redesigned into a series of decks connected by ramps so vehicles can be driven into and out of the cargo hold for fast loading and unloading. She was also fitted with two sets of two cranes; one set located at midship capable of lifting 35 tons, and another set located aft capable of lifting 50 tons. She was delivered to the Military Sealift Command on 28 August 1985 as USNS ''Regulus'' (T-AKR 292).

Service

When not active, ''Regulus'' is kept in reduced operating status due to her high operating cost. If needed, she can be activated and ready to sail in 96 hours. ''Regulus'' took part in the

Persian Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

in 1990. Along with the other seven ''Algol'' class cargo ships, she transported 14 percent of all cargo delivered between the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

during and after the war. On 1 October 2007, ''Regulus'' was transferred to the

. On 1 October 2008, she was transferred to the Ready Reserve Force, losing her USNS designation. If activated, ''Regulus'' will report to the Military Sealift Command.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Regulus Ships built in Bremen (state) Cargo ships of the United States Navy Algol-class vehicle cargo ships 1973 ships Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States Gulf War ships of the United States