A General Dynamics subsidiary has secured a $1.7bn contract to build another two new oilers for the U.S. Navy.
General Dynamics NASSCO has already built four John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers and is under contract to produce no fewer than 17 of the U.S. Navy’s 20-ship programme. The original six-ship contract was awarded in 2016; this was augmented to nine vessels in 2022 and then 17 in 2024.
Five more T-AO ships, as they are named, are currently under construction in the NASSCO shipyard. Built to replenish U.S. Navy ships with fuel at sea, the 742-foot vessels displace almost 50,000 tons fully loaded.
They can carry 162,000 barrels of oil as well as sizeable amounts of dry cargo, and are capable of travelling at up to 20 knots.
President of General Dynamics NASSCO commented: “The T-AO programme holds significant importance to the men and women of NASSCO and is one we take great pride in — it’s the longest running Navy production series in NASSCO history.”
He added: “The timely funding for these two ships will act to stabilize the workforce by sustaining an important backlog and prevent future layoffs.”
- You can read more details on the General Dynamics website