was delivered to the Navy Oct. 30 by General Dynamics National Steel and
Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego. Under the management of the
Navy’s Program Executive Office Ships (PEO Ships), Amelia Earhart was
delivered 50 days ahead of schedule.
As part of Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force,
Amelia Earhart is designated as a United States Naval Ship (USNS) and
will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners working for MSC. The ship
will also have a military detachment of 11 U.S. Navy sailors to provide
supply coordination, plus an aviation detachment for a total planned
manning of 172.
The ship honors aviation pioneer Amelia Mary Earhart for her courage,
vision and groundbreaking achievements in aviation. One previous ship
has been named for Earhart, the SS Amelia Earhart, a Liberty ship built
in the U.S. during World War II.
USNS Amelia Earhart is the sixth ship in the Navy’s T-AKE class. The
ship will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a
worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and
other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea. The ship is designed
to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry and
support two helicopters to conduct vertical replenishment. T-AKE 6 was
launched and christened April 6, 2008, at the NASSCO Shipyard.
PEO Ships manages the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface
ships, and is currently acquiring 11 major ship classes and a variety of
small boats and craft. These platforms range from major warships such
as frontline surface combatants and amphibious assault ships to
air-cushioned landing craft, oceanographic research ships and special
warfare craft. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has
procured 27 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from
more than 20 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.
-NAVSEA-
