Keel of Seventh T-AKE Ship laid
General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, laid the keel for the seventh dry cargo-ammunition ship in the U.S. Navy’s T-AKE program and started construction of the eighth ship this week. Both ships will be delivered to the Navy in 2009.
“Laying the keel of T-AKE 7 and starting construction of T-AKE 8 are the latest milestones in the successful Navy auxiliary ship program,” said Frederick J. Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. “These two events are evidence that the NASSCO team is building and delivering T-AKE ships efficiently. With one ship now deployed overseas and two other ships in service, the T-AKE class is already contributing to the Navy’s forward presence posture.”
The keel of T-AKE 7 was laid on November 2, while construction of T-AKE 8 began on October 31. Last week, NASSCO launched USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) and successfully completed sea trials for USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4). Since June 2006, NASSCO has delivered three T-AKE ships to the Navy, and will soon deliver the Richard E. Byrd. The shipyard has contracts to build the first nine ships of the T-AKE class and recently reached an agreement to terms for ships 10 through 14.
Designed by NASSCO, the T-AKE class incorporates international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system, to minimize operating costs over its projected 40-year service life. The primary mission of T-AKE ships is to deliver as much as 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea.
You must be logged in to post a comment.