USA: NASSCO to Launch 14th T-AKE Dry Cargo Ship

On Saturday, May 5, NASSCO will launch the last of the 14 T-AKE dry cargo ships that it has built for the Navy. The christening and launch will occur at NASSCO’s shipyard in Barrio Logan in San Diego.

Including the Medgar Evers, NASSCO has delivered the first thirteen ships of the T-AKE (Lewis and Clark) class to the Navy.

Speaking at the ceremony will be dignitaries from the United States Navy, as well as Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. The ceremony will culminate in the ship’s sponsor ceremonially name the ship by breaking the traditional bottle of champagne against its hull.

NASSCO has incorporated international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features into T-AKE-class ships, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system, to minimize operating costs during each ship’s projected 40-year service life. During the course of the decade-long T-AKE Program, NASSCO has implemented more than 20,000 ideas to drive down costs and improve quality and more than 1.5 million hours have been invested in employee training since 2006. With a cargo capacity of more than 10,000 tons, the primary mission of T-AKE ships is to deliver food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions from shore stations to combat ships at sea.

General Dynamics NASSCO is the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast of the United States. NASSCO also recently acquired Metro Machine Corp., a leading East-Coast surface-ship repair company. This acquisition enhances NASSCO’s ability to deliver cost-effective maintenance and repair services to the U.S. Navy on both coasts.

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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, April 30, 2012; Image: nassco