Posted:
October 12, 2010
The fleet of tankers operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command is being reconfigured to meet fuel requirements of U.S. forces worldwide. This seagoing force of government-owned and U.S.-flagged chartered ships is adding a new ship under charter, the M/T Empire State, as two government-owned ships complete their service, Military Sealift Command reported.
The Empire State has entered service under MSC charter for up to five years. The ship is operated for American Petroleum Tankers by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning (Crowley) and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
The Empire State will operate worldwide carrying refined petroleum products for the Department of Defense. Built at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, Calif., the double-hulled tanker is 600 feet long and has a capacity of 331,000 barrels. The ship's construction was completed in July 2010, at which time the Empire State went to work for MSC under a short-term charter.
The fifth tanker in the State Class series, the M/T Evergreen State, is under construction at NASSCO and is expected to enter service under MSC charter in early 2011. The Evergreen State will be the second State Class tanker chartered by MSC. AMO represents the licensed officers aboard all tankers in the series.
Two of MSC's government-owned tankers transferred out of service Oct. 1. The USNS Paul Buck and USNS Samuel L. Cobb entered service to MSC in the mid 1980s, along with three other then-new T-5 tankers.
Upon deactivation from MSC service, the USNS Cobb and USNS Buck transferred to the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), which includes about 30 dry cargo ships and tankers kept in reserve for possible activation and use in support of national defense and in national emergencies.
In 2003, MSC purchased four of the five T-5 tankers - USNS Buck, USNS Cobb, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella and USNS Richard G. Matthiesen. Since then, these ships have served as the core of MSC's tanker fleet, along with an MSC-chartered shallow-draft tanker.
"Our T-5 tankers have served us well for the past 25 years, and as they approach the end of their service lives, the State Class ships will allow us to continue to fulfill our requirements to transport fuel for the Defense Logistics Agency - Energy," said John Joerger, MSC's tanker project officer.
The USNS Gianella transferred to MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Force in 2009 and the USNS Matthiesen will remain in service to MSC until early 2011, when the ship will join Cobb and Buck in the NDRF.
In fiscal year 2010, MSC carried 1.5 billion gallons of petroleum products worldwide in support of DOD operations in missions ranging from delivering fuel to combat forces operating in Iraq to replenishing McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.
MSC reconfigures tanker fleet
The fleet of tankers operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command is being reconfigured to meet fuel requirements of U.S. forces worldwide. This seagoing force of government-owned and U.S.-flagged chartered ships is adding a new ship under charter, the M/T Empire State, as two government-owned ships complete their service, Military Sealift Command reported.
The Empire State has entered service under MSC charter for up to five years. The ship is operated for American Petroleum Tankers by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning (Crowley) and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
The Empire State will operate worldwide carrying refined petroleum products for the Department of Defense. Built at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, Calif., the double-hulled tanker is 600 feet long and has a capacity of 331,000 barrels. The ship's construction was completed in July 2010, at which time the Empire State went to work for MSC under a short-term charter.
The fifth tanker in the State Class series, the M/T Evergreen State, is under construction at NASSCO and is expected to enter service under MSC charter in early 2011. The Evergreen State will be the second State Class tanker chartered by MSC. AMO represents the licensed officers aboard all tankers in the series.
Two of MSC's government-owned tankers transferred out of service Oct. 1. The USNS Paul Buck and USNS Samuel L. Cobb entered service to MSC in the mid 1980s, along with three other then-new T-5 tankers.
Upon deactivation from MSC service, the USNS Cobb and USNS Buck transferred to the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), which includes about 30 dry cargo ships and tankers kept in reserve for possible activation and use in support of national defense and in national emergencies.
In 2003, MSC purchased four of the five T-5 tankers - USNS Buck, USNS Cobb, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella and USNS Richard G. Matthiesen. Since then, these ships have served as the core of MSC's tanker fleet, along with an MSC-chartered shallow-draft tanker.
"Our T-5 tankers have served us well for the past 25 years, and as they approach the end of their service lives, the State Class ships will allow us to continue to fulfill our requirements to transport fuel for the Defense Logistics Agency - Energy," said John Joerger, MSC's tanker project officer.
The USNS Gianella transferred to MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Force in 2009 and the USNS Matthiesen will remain in service to MSC until early 2011, when the ship will join Cobb and Buck in the NDRF.
In fiscal year 2010, MSC carried 1.5 billion gallons of petroleum products worldwide in support of DOD operations in missions ranging from delivering fuel to combat forces operating in Iraq to replenishing McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.