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USNS Amelia Earhart (AKE 6).

USNS Amelia Earhart (AKE 6).
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class: LEWIS AND CLARK (AKE 1)
Design: Navy AKE 1
Displacement (tons): 25,395 light, 44,069 full
Dimensions (feet): 689' oa, 654' wl x 106' e/wl x 32' max nav
Armament: None, but space and weight reserved for two Phalanx CIWS
Accommodations: 41 officers and 82 enlisted (NVR, accommodations)
Speed (kts.): 20
Propulsion (BHP): 43,000
Machinery: Diesel electric, 1 screw

Construction:
AKENameOrd/AcqBuilderKeelLaunchIS
1LEWIS AND CLARK18 Oct 2001GD/Nat. Steel & SB22 Apr 190421 May 190520 Jun 2006
2SACAGAWEA18 Oct 2001GD/Nat. Steel & SB7 Jun 190524 Jun 190627 Feb 2007
3ALAN SHEPARD16 Jul 2002GD/Nat. Steel & SB30 Jan 20066 Dec 200626 Jun 2007
4RICHARD E BYRD18 Jul 2003GD/Nat. Steel & SB17 Jul 200615 May 200714 Nov 2007
5ROBERT E PEARY27 Jan 2004GD/Nat. Steel & SB11 Dec 200627 Oct 20075 Jun 2008
6AMELIA EARHART27 Jan 2004GD/Nat. Steel & SB29 May 20076 Apr 200830 Oct 2008
7CARL BRASHEAR11 Jan 2005GD/Nat. Steel & SB2 Nov 200718 Sep 20084 Mar 2009
8WALLY SCHIRRA11 Jan 2005GD/Nat. Steel & SB14 Apr 20088 Mar 20091 Sep 2009
9MATTHEW PERRY30 Jan 2006GD/Nat. Steel & SB29 Sep 200816 Aug 200924 Feb 2010
10CHARLES DREW31 Jan 2008GD/Nat. Steel & SB13 Mar 200927 Feb 201014 Jul 2010
11WASHINGTON CHAMBERS12 Dec 2008GD/Nat. Steel & SB24 Aug 200911 Sep 201023 Feb 2011
12WILLIAM McLEAN12 Dec 2008GD/Nat. Steel & SB23 Mar 201016 Apr 201128 Sep 2011
13MEDGAR EVERS26 Feb 2010GD/Nat. Steel & SB26 Oct 201029 Oct 201124 Apr 2012
14CESAR CHAVEZ26 Feb 2010GD/Nat. Steel & SB9 May 20115 May 201224 Oct 2012

Disposition:
AKENameTOOSStrikeDisposalFateMA Sale
1LEWIS AND CLARKTIn service 2021--------
2SACAGAWEATIn service 2021--------
3ALAN SHEPARDTIn service 2021--------
4RICHARD E BYRDTIn service 2021--------
5ROBERT E PEARYTIn service 2021--------
6AMELIA EARHARTTIn service 2021--------
7CARL BRASHEARTIn service 2021--------
8WALLY SCHIRRATIn service 2021--------
9MATTHEW PERRYTIn service 2021--------
10CHARLES DREWTIn service 2021--------
11WASHINGTON CHAMBERSTIn service 2021--------
12WILLIAM McLEANTIn service 2021--------
13MEDGAR EVERSTIn service 2021--------
14CESAR CHAVEZTIn service 2021--------

Class Notes:
In October 2001 the Navy awarded National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) a contract valued at $709m for the design and construction of the first and second ships in the T-AKE dry cargo and ammunition ships program. The ships of this new AKE type were configured for underway replenishment and were required to replace the KILAUEA-class T-AE 26 ammunition ships and the MARS-class T-AFS combat stores ships. They were built to commercial standards to the extent that this was practical. By December 2008, the navy had exercised its options to build 14 T-AKE ships. The specifications for the ships of the T-AKE 1 class required that the transfer rates for ammunition and stores must be at least equal to those of the AOE-6 Class, although maximum ship speed was slower at around 20 knots of burst speed. One T-AKE 1 class cargo ship and one T-AO 187 class oiler had the replenishment capability of a single T-AOE, and two of the Navy's four T-AOEs were inactivated as a cost saving measure a few years after the last of the T-AKE 1 class entered service.

The T-AKEs provide a 2-product (ammunition and combat stores, the latter including dry stores, frozen and chilled products, spare parts, and consumables that may include drinkable water) shuttle ship replacement for MSC’s aging Combat Store (T-AFS 1 MARS Class) and Ammunition (T-AE 26 KILAUEA Class) shuttle ships. They are constructed with two multipurpose cargo holds for dry stores and ammunition, three specialty cargo and spares holds, and specialty cargo spaces on the 01 level. There is a dedicated cargo hold for frozen, chilled or dry stores. The dry cargo capacity is 6,675t. There are extensive cargo pre-staging areas on the main deck, four cranes each rated at 5t for loading and offloading pierside or at anchorage, and eight cargo elevators for transferring the cargo between the main deck and the allocated stowage locations. The five cargo fuel tanks can carry 3,242t of fuel, and there are two cargo potable water tanks with a capacity of 200t or 52,800gal. Each ship is capable of simultaneous operation of five connected replenishment (CONREP) stations and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) operation by aircraft, using the flight deck situated on the main deck. There is a total of three dry-cargo and one liquid-cargo connected replenishment stations on each side of the ship. There are flight deck, hangar and support facilities for two embarked military or commercial helicopters. T-AKE ships are the US Navy’s first full-size all-electric ships, with diesel-electric generation that can be used for propulsion or for internal systems. The ships are powered by an integrated propulsion system based on four Man B&W 9l and 8l [Fairbanks Morse/MAN B&W 9L and 8L 48/60] diesel generators providing a total installed power of 35.7MW to run internal machinery and combat systems, compared to just 7.5 MW of power generated by DDG 51-class AEGIS destroyers. The two propulsion motors, supplied by Alstom, are mounted in tandem and are twin synchronous variable speed, reversible, double-wound motors with brush and slip ring excitation. The propulsion system drives a single shaft with a fixed pitch propeller. A bow thruster is installed for manoeuvrability. The use of electric drive creates more internal redundancy in the event of damage. It also eliminates the need for drive shaft and reduction gears, which brings benefits to the ship’s internal space and makes for a quieter ship that’s harder to find using sonar. The T-AKE's crew comprises 124 CIVMARs (civilian mariners who function under Secretary of the Navy instructions and are Excepted Service employees of the US government) as well as a military detachment of 11 sailors to provide operational support and supply coordination. When needed, the ship can also carry a helicopter detachment. T-AKE ships are capable of landing, fueling and maintaining up to 2 utility helicopters like the CH-46D Sea Knight or MH-60S Knight Hawk, with hangar space for 2 machines. In practice, however, they do not carry US Navy helicopters but instead carry contracted Eurocopter SA330 Puma medium helicopters, which are used to help transfer personnel and cargo in VERTREP operations.

Stations 3 (starboard) and 4 (port) are configured as fueling stations with outriggers at the tops of the kingposts from which hoses are suspended.

Ship Notes:
AKENameMANotes
1LEWIS AND CLARKFY 2000.
2SACAGAWEAFY 2000.
3ALAN SHEPARDFY 2001.
4RICHARD E BYRDFY 2003.
5ROBERT E PEARYFY 2004. Christening delayed to 9 Feb 2008 by wildfires.
6AMELIA EARHARTFY 2004.
7CARL BRASHEARFY 2005. Delivered on 4 Mar 2009.
8WALLY SCHIRRAFY 2005.
9MATTHEW PERRYFY 2006.
10CHARLES DREWFY 2007.
11WASHINGTON CHAMBERSFY 2009.
12WILLIAM McLEANFY 2009.
13MEDGAR EVERSFY 2010. Christened on 12 November 2011.
14CESAR CHAVEZFY 2010.

Page Notes:
Compiled: 29 Nov 2021
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2021