USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for noted American aviation pioneer and women's rights advocate Amelia Earhart (1897–1937). The contract to build the ship was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 27 January 2004. Her keel was laid down at the end of May 2007 at General Dynamics' NASSCO shipyard. In early 2007, Alex Mandel along with members of the Amelia Earhart Society (AES) and Amelia Earhart Research Association (AERA) successfully petitioned the naming of the ship.
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| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name | USNS Amelia Earhart |
| Namesake | Amelia Earhart |
| Awarded | 27 January 2004 |
| Builder | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company |
| Laid down | 30 May 2007 |
| Launched | 6 April 2008 |
| Sponsored by | Amy Kleppner |
| In service | 30 October 2008 |
| Identification |
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| Motto | Esprit Intrepide ("Intrepid Spirit")[1] |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| 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 |
On 26 July 2007 one of the ship's four 200-ton diesel-electric engines toppled from a truck delivering it to the shipyard in the 2700 block of Harbor Drive, San Diego.[2] The engine damaged three vehicles, completely flattening one. A woman sleeping in the back of a van whose front-end was destroyed suffered minor injuries. The accident also created an 8-foot-deep (2.4 m) sink-hole in the roadway and ruptured a water main. The accident is believed to have been caused when the truck accidentally delivered the engine to the wrong gate of the shipyard and hit the curb while backing up in an attempt to turn around.[3] The engine was recovered on 29 July by three heavy cranes.[4]
At 9 p.m. 6 April 2008, a ceremony was held to christen the Amelia Earhart, with the honors of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne given to Amelia Earhart's closest living relative, niece Amy Kleppner.[5][6] Ms. Kleppner is also sister-in-law of physicist Daniel Kleppner, whose wife Beatrice and daughter Sofie participated as Matrons of Honor.[7] The new ship is designed to deliver ammunition, food, fuel and other dry cargo to US and allied warships at sea. It will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and, at times, will include an additional complement of naval personnel and carry two helicopters.
On 20 November 2014 the Amelia Earhart collided with the USNS Walter S. Diehl in the Gulf of Aden.[8]
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Amelia Earhart conducting underway replenishment with USS Hopper (DDG-70), November 2009
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Amelia Earhart under construction, January 2008
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USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6) dockside beside USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE-5)
References
edit- ^ "USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6)". United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "200-Ton Engine Crushes Van With Woman Inside". 10news.com. 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Greg Gross (2007-06-30). "That 200-ton engine shipped to wrong address". signonsandiego.com. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Kristina Davis and Terry Rodgers (2007-06-30). "200-ton ship engine hauled away". signonsandiego.com. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ "USNS Amelia Earhart to be christened by famed pilot's niece". signonsandiego.com. 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Carol L. Osborne. "Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey". Ninety-Nines. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ "USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6) Christening Ceremony, April 6, 2008" (PDF). National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ "Two Navy supply ships collide in Gulf of Aden". Navy Times. AP. 20 Nov 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
External links
edit- "USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6)". Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- Priolo, Gary P. (2 May 2008). "T-AKE-6 Amelia Earhart". Service Ship Photo Archive. NavSource Online. Retrieved 2008-05-13.