US Navy orders ninth John Lewis-class fleet oiler from General Dynamics NASSCO

The option follows eight  earlier awarded ships, bringing the value of the contract to around $5.5 billion for construction of nine oilers.

Construction of T-AO 213 is planned to begin in the third quarter of 2025.

General Dynamics NASSCO president Dave Carver said: ‘NASSCO is proud of our ongoing dedication to deliver these ships to the fleet,

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‘We are committed to working with our navy partners to ensure the continued success of the John Lewis-class fleet oiler programme.’

NASSCO was awarded a contract to design and build the first six ships of the class in 2016.

The oilers are designed to transfer fuel to USN carrier strike group vessels while operating at sea.

The John Lewis-class has a full load displacement of 49,850t and is able to carry the equivalent of 157,000 barrels of oil.

The first-in-class future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) was delivered to the USN last year.

Subsequent vessels, the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), Earl Warren (T-AO 207), Robert F Kennedy (T-AO 208), Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), and Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) are currently under construction.