USNS Alan Shepard
USNS Alan Shepard sails out of San Diego harbor.
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History | |
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Name | USNS Alan Shepard |
Namesake | Alan Shepard |
Awarded | 16 July 2002 |
Builder | National Steel and Shipbuilding |
Laid down | 14 February 2006 |
Launched | 6 December 2006 |
In service | 26 June 2007[1] |
Identification |
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Status | in active service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam |
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Draft |
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Propulsion | Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6 kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster |
Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
Range |
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Capacity |
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Complement | 49 military, 123 civilian |
Electronic warfare & decoys | Nulka decoy launchers |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Puma |
USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship in the United States Navy. She is named after the astronaut and Rear Admiral, Alan Shepard (1923–1998), the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.
Service history
The contract to build her was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, on 16 July 2002. Construction began on 13 September 2005. She was launched on 6 December 2006, sponsored by Laura Churchley, daughter of RAdm. Shepard.[2]
Alan Shepard entered active service in 2007.[3] She was initially part of the Pacific Fleet.
During Exercise Pacific Vanguard in August 2022, Alan Shepard launched a BQM-177A target drone during live-fire practice with the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and the Australian frigate HMAS Perth; this was the first time the drone was used in a training exercise. Both vessels launched missiles at the BWM-177A and successfully intercepted it.[4]
By 2023, Alan Shepard was assigned to the United States Fifth Fleet. In July 2023, Alan Shepard entered a shipyard in Al Hidd, Bahrain, and on 15 July, while leaving the shipyard, she ran aground. None of the approximately 85 individuals on the ship were injured in the accident. The next day, tugboats refloated Alan Shepard.[3] An inspection after the accident revealed that Alan Shepard was not significantly damaged.[5]
References
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
- ^ "USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3)". Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
- ^ "Navy to Christen USNS Alan Shepard". Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), U.S. Dept. of Defense. 6 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
- ^ a b Slayton, Nicholas (16 July 2023). "Navy Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Bahrain". taskandpurpose.com. Task & Purpose. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ Gonzales, Deanna (2 September 2022). "U.S. Navy Completes First BQM-177A Target Intercept during Missile Launch". cpf.navy.mil. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Correll, Diana Stancy (17 July 2023). "Navy Investigating Grounding of Cargo Ship in Bahrain". navytimes.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
External links
- Priolo, Gary P. (22 February 2008). "USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3)". Service Ship Photo Archive. NavSource Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008.