USNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194)

USNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194) is a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler operated by the Military Sealift Command to support ships of the United States Navy.

This article is about the U.S. Navy fleet replenishment oiler. For ships with similar names, see USS Ericsson.

USNS John Ericsson in Apra Harbor, Guam
History
United States
Name: USNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194)
Namesake: John Ericsson (1803–1889), a Swedish inventor and mechanical engineer primarily active in the United States
Awarded: 1 February 1986
Builder: Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 15 March 1989
Launched: 21 April 1990
In service: 18 March 1991-present
Identification:
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler
Type: Fleet replenishment oiler
Tonnage: 31,200 long tons (31,700 t) deadweight
Displacement:
  • 9,500 long tons (9,650 metric tons) light
  • Full load variously reported as 42,382 and 40,700 long tons (43,062 and 41,353 t)
Length: 677 ft (206 m)
Beam: 97 ft 5 in (29.69 m)
Draft: 35 ft (11 m) maximum
Installed power:
  • 16,000 hp (11.9 MW) per shaft
  • 34,442 hp (25.7 MW) total sustained
Propulsion: Two medium-speed Colt-Pielstick PC4-2/2 10V-570 diesel engines, two shafts, controllable-pitch propellers
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Capacity:
Complement: 103 (18 civilian officers, 1 U.S. Navy officer, 64 merchant seamen, 20 U.S. Navy enlisted personnel)
Armament:
Aircraft carried: None
Aviation facilities: Helicopter landing platform
Notes:
  • Five refueling stations
  • Two dry cargo transfer rigs

Design

The Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers were preceded by the shorter Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oilers. John Ericsson has an overall length of 206.5 metres (677 ft 6 in). It has a beam of 29.7 metres (97 ft) and a draft of 11 metres (36 ft). The oiler has a displacement of 41,353 tonnes (40,700 long tons; 45,584 short tons) at full load. It has a capacity of 180,000 imperial barrels (29,000,000 l; 6,500,000 imp gal; 7,800,000 US gal) of aviation fuel or fuel oil. It can carry a dry load of 690 square metres (7,400 sq ft) and can refrigerate 128 pallets of food. The ship is powered by two 10 PC4.2 V 570 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines that drive two shafts; this gives a power of 25.6 megawatts (34,800 PS; 34,300 shp).[1]

The Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers have maximum speeds of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). They were built without armaments but can be fitted with close-in weapon systems. The ship has a helicopter platform but not any maintenance facilities. It is fitted with five fuelling stations; these can fill two ships at the same time and the ship is capable of pumping 900,000 US gallons (3,400,000 l; 750,000 imp gal) of diesel or 540,000 US gallons (2,000,000 l; 450,000 imp gal) of jet fuel per hour. It has a complement of eighty-nine civilians (nineteen officers), twenty-nine spare crew, and six United States Navy crew.[1]

Construction and delivery

John Ericsson, the eighth ship of the Henry J. Kaiser class, was laid down at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Chester, Pennsylvania, on 15 March 1989 and launched on 21 April 1990. She entered non-commissioned United States Navy service under the control of the Military Sealift Command with a primarily civilian crew on 18 March 1991.

Service history

John Ericsson serves in the United States Pacific Fleet. In March 2014, she was sent to help with refueling and logistics connected with the USS Pinckney's role in helping the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.[2]

Photos

References
  1. "Fleet Replenishment". Naval Technology. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  2. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79566
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