The Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), the first of an 18-ship series of new oilers, was delivered in September 1986. Three of the Kaiser class were delivered in 1987 and one was delivered in 1988. When they joined the fleet, Kaiser-class ships permited the retirement of oilers of the 1940s (Mispillion class) and 1950s (Neosho class). The ships were built for the Military Sealift Command (MSC).
There are stations on both sides of each ship for underway replenishment of fuel and stores. Equipped with 5 fueling stations, they can replenish two ships at a time pumping up to 900,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 540,000 gallons of jet fuel per hour. These ships have a capacity for small quantities of fresh and frozen provisions, stores, and other materials which will permit full replenishment of some of their customers. With a dry cargo carrying capacity of 7,400 square feet and refrigerated deck vans that can hold up to 128 pallets of chilled food, they can deliver fleet cargo, mail, and provisions via CONREP (connected replenishment) from two dry cargo rigs or via VERTREP (vertical replenishment) on the helo deck.
Three of the newest MSC underway replenishment oilers have double hulls, designed to meet OPA 90 (Oil Protection Act 1990) requirements. . Fitted with integrated electrical auxiliary propulsion, the delivery of USNS Patuxent (T-ATF 201), USNS Rappahannock (T-ATF 204) and USNS Laramie (T-ATF 203) was delayed by the decision to fit double hulls to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. This modification increased construction time from 32 to 42 months and reduced cargo capacity by 17 percent, although this can be restored in an emergency. Hull separation is 1.83 m at the sides and 1.98 m on the bottom.
USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) has become part of the MSC Prepositioning Program at Diego Garcia, carrying aviation fuel. Thirteen of these underway replenishment oilers are currently operated by Military Sealift Command and provide underway replenishment of fuel to US Navy ships at sea and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers.Although T-AO 189 John Lenthall was retired on 11 Nov 1996, the ship was placed back in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Naval Fleet Auxuliary Force Homeport on 07 December 1998.
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) originally awarded the construction contract for T-AO 191 and T-AO 192 to Pennsylvania Shipbuilding Company (PennShip), but the contract was terminated for default. NAVSEA awarded Tampa Shipyards Inc. (Tampa), a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Shipbuilding Company (AMSHIP), letter contract N00024-90-C-2300 on November 16, 1989, for the completion of T-AO 191 and T-AO 192. During performance of the contract, Tampa and NAVSEA had differing interpretations over responsibility for correction of defects or deficiencies for work performed by PennShip and concerning the amount of material necessary to complete the ships. Tampa experienced significant financial and performance problems which resulted in Tampa's failure to make progress to meet the T-AO 191 contract delivery date of May 29, 1992. The contract delivery dates for the two ships were extended to January 31, 1993, for T-AO 191 and September 30, 1993, for T-AO 192.
Mr. George M. Steinbrenner, the former Chairman of the Board of AMSHIP, the current chairman of the AMSHIP Executive Committee and principal stockholder of AMSHIP, commissioned a study by Paul Maglicocchetti Associates (PMA) of selected Tampa activities. The study by PMA on Tampa's behalf indicated that Tampa had failed to adequately staff and organize the company to perform new construction work despite representations made to the Navy prior to T-AO contract award. NAVSEA's analysis indicated that transferring the ships to another facility would not add unacceptable cost or schedule delays, and that Tampa's continued performance of the T-AO 191 and T-AO 192 contract was not essential to the national defense.
The crews of these ships consist primarily of Civilian Mariners, who work under industry-standard rules regarding hours of work and compensation. The Mariners draw "base pay " for a forty hour workweek (with a few exceptions), but outside normal working hours are entitled to overtime pay. In a nutshell, any evolution during normal working days, and between 0800 and 1700, incurs no overtime. Weekends and holidays incur overtime costs, as do evolutions between 1700 and 0800. The cost involved is in the neighborhood of $20/hour per Mariner involved in the evolution. Light Displacement: 9500 tons Full Displacement: 40700 tons Dead Weight: 31200 tons
Specifications | |
| Builder | Avondale Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans, La. |
| Power Plant | 2 Colt-Pielstick 10 PC4.2 V 570 diesels; 34,442 hp(m) (24.3MW) sustained; 2 shafts; cp props |
| Length | Overall Length: 677 ft Waterline Length: 650 ft |
| Beam | Extreme Beam: 97 ft Waterline Beam: 97 ft |
| Draft |
Maximum Navigational Draft: 35 ft
Draft Limit: 35 ft |
| Displacement |
40,700 tons (41,347.13 long ton); 42,000 tons (42,667.8 long tons) [T-AO 201, 203-204] full load |
| Capacity | 180,000 barrels of fuel oil or aviation fuel
; 159,000 [T-AO 201, 203-204] barrels of fuel oil or aviation fuel |
| Speed | 20 knots (23 mph) |
| Crew | 82 civilian crew (18 officers); 21 Navy (1 officer) plus 21 spare |
| Aircraft | Helicopter platform only |
Ships | ||||||
| Name | Number | Builder | Homeport | Ordered | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
| Henry J. Kaiser | T-AO 187 | Avondale | Diego Garcia | 12 Nov 1982 | 19 Dec 1986 | |
| Joshua Humphreys | T-AO 188 | Avondale | Atlantic | 20 Jan 1983 | 03 Apr 1987 | 29 Jun 1996 |
| John Lenthall | T-AO 189 | Avondale | Atlantic | 1983 | 25 Jun 1987 | |
| Andrew J. Higgins | T-AO 190 | Avondale | Pacific | 22 Nov 1983 | 22 Oct 1987 | 06 May 1996 |
| Benjamin Isherwood | T-AO 191 | Penn SB | 06 May 1985 | 07 Dec 1991 | 29 Dec 1997 | |
| Henry Eckford | T-AO 192 | Penn SB | Atlantic | 06 May 1985 | 1992 | 02 Feb 1998 |
| Walter S. Diehl | T-AO 193 | Avondale | Pacific | 28 Jun 1985 | 13 Sep 1988 | |
| John Ericsson | T-AO 194 | Penn SB | Pacific | 01 Feb 1986 | 18 Mar 1991 | |
| Leroy Grumman | T-AO 195 | Avondale | Atlantic | 27 Feb 1986 | 02 Aug 1989 | |
| Kanawha | T-AO 196 | Avondale | Atlantic | 01 Feb 1987 | 06 Dec 1991 | |
| Pecos | T-AO 197 | Avondale | Pacific | 12 Feb 1987 | 06 Jul 1990 | |
| Big Horn | T-AO 198 | Avondale | Atlantic | 20 Jun 1988 | 21 May 1992 | |
| Tippecanoe | T-AO 199 | Avondale | Pacific | 24 Mar 1989 | 08 Feb 1993 | |
| Guadalupe | T-AO 200 | Avondale | Pacific | 06 Oct 1988 | 25 Sep 1992 | |
| Patuxent | T-AO 201 | Avondale | Atlantic | 24 Mar 1989 | 21 Jun 1995 | |
| Yukon | T-AO 202 | Avondale | Pacific | 06 Oct 1988 | 25 Mar 1994 | |
| Laramie | T-AO 203 | Avondale | Atlantic | 24 Mar 1989 | 07 May 1996 | |
| Rappahannock | T-AO 204 | Avondale | Pacific | 10 Oct 1988 | 07 Nov 1995 | |
