General Dynamics NASSCO has laid the keel for the US Navy’s eighth John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler, the future USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212), at its San Diego shipyard.
The event formally marked the beginning of construction for the tanker vessel, named after the former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court who served for 27 years.
As the second woman to serve on the Court, Ginsburg is known for her efforts to eliminate gender discrimination and advocate for women’s rights.
The late Justice’s daughter, Jane Ginsburg, is the ship’s sponsor. During the ceremony, she welded her initials onto a steel plate, which will be affixed to the ship’s hull.
John Lighthammer, Program Manager of the Auxiliary and Special Mission Shipbuilding Program Office, noted that the keel-laying “marks the first of many significant milestones for this ship.”
The ceremony follows the company handing over the US Navy’s fifth John Lewis-class tanker, the USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), in December.
John Lewis-Class
The navy awarded NASSCO a $3.2-billion contract to design and build six John Lewis-class replenishment oilers in 2016, the T-AO 205 to 210.
That contract was later expanded with additional ship orders, with the overall T-AO program aiming to reach 20 vessels over time and replacing the aging Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oilers.
Measuring 746 feet (227 meters) long, with a beam of 107 feet (33 meters), the John Lewis-class vessels have the capacity to carry a total of 162,000 barrels (25.7 million liters) of oil, 125 personnel, and various support assets.
Operated by the Military Sealift Command, each tanker is powered by two diesel engines for a maximum speed of 20 knots (23 miles/37 kilometers per hour) and a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (6,905 miles/11,112 kilometers).
