Lewis and Clark

The T-AKE-class combat logistics force ships have been designed by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, to meet the requirements of the US Navy and NATO. These ships will deliver at port or at sea ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to carrier battle groups and other naval forces, serving as a shuttle ship or station ship. It will serve for extended periods at sea providing replenishment services to forward deployed forces. The T-AKE class ships will operate for extended periods at sea while providing replenishment services for the US Navy fleet. They are a new combat logistics force (CLF) vessel intended to replace the current capability of the T-AE 26 Kilauea-Class ammunition ships, T-AFS 1 Mars-Class combat stores ships and, when operating with T-AO 187 Henry J. Kaiser-Class oiler ships, the AOE 1 Sacramento-Class fast combat support ships. Each T-AKE vessel can accommodate up to 7,000 metric tons of dry cargo and ammunition, 23,500 barrels of diesel fuel, and 52,800 gal of potable water. Combining international proven technologies such as electric-drive propulsion system with commercial design features the US Navy expects to reduce dramatically ownership costs. As of 2004, NASSCO was under contract to build six T-AKE dry cargo/ammunition ships with six additional ships as options. The lead ship, the USNS Lewis and Clark, construction began in September 2003 and was planned to be commissioned in early 2006. On January 11, 2005, NASSCO was awarded a $586 million contract by the US Navy funding two additional T-AKE ships to be delivered in 2008. The T-AKE program covers eight ships with options on four more. The eight ships ordered, as of 2005, were valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The US Navy approved the construction of the ninth T-AKE ship with a $317 million contract award to General Dynamics NASSCO January 30, 2006. Following this decision the T-AKE program value was brought to $2.8 billion for nine ships plus three more options. The US Navy christened the USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) replenishment ship on Saturday, 24 June, 2006 at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California.

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