U.S. Navy’s Newest Resupply Ship USNS Cesar Chavez Launched at NASSCO

General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard on Sunday May 6th, launched the U.S. Navy’s newest resupply ship, USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14). The ship is named in honor of Cesar Estrada Chavez, the labor leader who founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA).

The Saturday evening ceremony took place at the NASSCO shipyard. Juan M. Garcia III, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, was the ceremony’s principal speaker. Mrs. Helen Chavez, widow of Cesar Chavez and the ship’s sponsor, christened the ship by breaking the traditional bottle of champagne against its bow.

“This celebration marks the culmination of a successful U.S. shipbuilding program that has spanned nearly a decade,” said Fred Harris, President of General Dynamics NASSCO. “The workmanship of the thousands of people who labored to bring these 14 cargo ships to existence will live on for years to come as these great ships traverse the world, replenishing naval forces across the globe and serving as a critical component of humanitarian aid missions.”

Designated T-AKE 14, Cesar Chavez is the final of the Lewis and Clark dry cargo/ammunition ships, all of which will be operated by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. To help the Navy maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and other supplies to U.S. and allied ships at sea, T-AKEs are serving as combat logistics force (CLF) ships. In support of the enhanced maritime prepositioning ship squadron concept of operations, two T-AKEs are being allocated to the maritime prepositioning squadrons to provide sea-based logistics support to Marine Corps units afloat and ashore.

As part of MSC, T-AKE 14 is designated as a united states naval ship and will be crewed by civil service mariners. This is the first Navy ship named after Chavez. For CLF missions, the T-AKEs’ crews include a small department of sailors.

Like the other dry cargo/ammunition ships, T-AKE 14 is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry two helicopters and their crews. The ship is 689 feet in length, has an overall beam of 106 feet, has a navigational draft of 30 feet, displaces approximately 42,000 tons and is capable of reaching a speed of 20 knots using a single-shaft, diesel-electric propulsion system.

[mappress]

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, May 7, 2012; Image: nassco