Although it may not be a carrier, the US Navy plans to utilize the USNS Robert F. Kennedy to deliver fuel to carrier strike groups at sea.
The United States Navy announced earlier this summer that the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will not join the fleet until at least March 2027, nearly two years behind schedule. As a result, the sea service will be forced to make do with just 10 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for at least a year, as the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is due to head to retirement in 2026.
CVN-79 will be the second carrier to be named for the late president, who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in November 1963. The previous carrier, a variant of the USS Kitty Hawk, was sold to a scrapper and will also be broken up in Texas.
However, even as the US Navy will not operate a warship named for President John F. Kennedy, a support vessel named for his younger brother, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, has entered service. The USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208) arrived at Naval Station Norfolk last week. The vessel is the fourth ship of the Navy’s John Lewis-class of fleet replenishment oilers, and is operated by Military Sealift Command while crewed by Civil Service Mariners.
Although it may not be a carrier, the US Navy plans to utilize it for delivering fuel to carrier strike groups at sea. It is also likely to operate with the future CVN-79. As reported last year, the refuelers are the unsung workhorses of the surface fleet, ensuring that the nuclear-powered flattops can accomplish their missions.
Even Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers Need Fuel Sometimes
Although the US Navy’s Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers have unlimited range and endurance, the warbirds that make up the air wing require aviation fuel. When the flattops are at sea on long deployments, the fuel comes to the ships—a reminder of the proverb “If Mohammed doesn’t go to the mountain, then the mountain must come to Mohammed.” In this case, the carrier can not go to the fuel station, and instead, vessels like USNS Robert F. Kennedy are there to deliver the fuel.
Each of the John Lewis-replenishment oilers can carry upwards of 162,000 barrels of oil, along with dry cargo. Although the T-AO vessels would never be confused with aircraft carriers, each is equipped with a flight deck to support helicopter operations to deliver the dry cargo.
Unlike the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers, of which a full dozen of the 15 oilers in service are single-hulled, all of the John Lewis-class replenishment vessels are double-hulled and constructed to commercial standards and OPNAVINST 9070.1 requirements. The dangers of having single-hulled vessels became apparent last year when USNS Big Horn (T-AO-198) ran aground off the coast of Oman. The 33-year-old unarmed auxiliary ship was the only oiler in the Middle East at the time. Fortunately, the environmental damage was minimal, yet the need for the support ships was made abundantly clear.
TAO-208 is the first ship named to honor the late attorney general and later United States senator, who was assassinated while running for president in 1968. USNS Robert F. Kennedy was launched on October 28, 2023, and was delivered to the US Navy last December.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
