USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the Navy’s lead ship of its new class of fleet replenishment oilers, conducted initial Builder’s Trials and returned to port, Feb. 4, 2022. U.S. Navy Photo
General Dynamics NASSCO has secured a significant contract from the U.S. Navy for the construction of up to eight additional John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers.
The deal, potentially worth over $6.7 billion, marks a major expansion of the Navy’s oiler fleet and solidifies NASSCO’s position as a key naval shipbuilding contractor.
The contract commences with a $780 million award for the tenth ship in the series, with options for seven more vessels. The agreement brings the total number of contracted ships in the John Lewis-class program at NASSCO to seventeen out of a planned twenty.
“We are pleased to continue building these ships, with seventeen of the Navy’s twenty-ship program of record now on contract. This will make the T-AO program the longest Navy production series in NASSCO history,” said Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO.
The John Lewis-class oilers are crucial for the Navy’s at-sea operations. The 742-foot vessels, operated by Military Sealift Command, can carry 162,000 barrels of oil and significant dry cargo. They are designed to transfer fuel to Navy ships at sea and provide aviation capabilities, all while traveling at speeds up to 20 knots.
Each ship in the series is named after a civil rights leader, honoring figures who have made substantial contributions to American society.
The USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the first ship in the class, was delivered in July 2022, followed by USNS Harvy Milk (T-AO 206) in July 2023 and the USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207) in May 2024. USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) was christened and launched in October 2023, while the USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209) is scheduled for christening and launch on September 2024.
Currently under construction are the USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) and the USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 211). Construction of the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212) will commence in October 2024.
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