USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Brashear (1931–2006), one of the first African-Americans to become a US Navy Master Diver, despite having lost a leg in the 1966 Palomares incident.

USNS Carl Brashear
USNS Carl Brashear in 2019
History
Awarded11 January 2005
BuilderNational Steel and Shipbuilding
Laid down2 November 2007
Launched18 September 2008
In service4 March 2009
Identification
Motto
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeLewis and Clark-class cargo ship
Displacement
  • 23,852 tons light,
  • 40,298 tons full,
  • 16,446 tons dead
Length
  • 210 m (689 ft) overall,
  • 199.3 m (654 ft) waterline
Beam
  • 32.3 m (106 ft) extreme,
  • 32.3 m (106 ft) waterline
Draft
  • 9.1 m (30 ft) maximum,
  • 9.4 m (31 ft) limit
PropulsionIntegrated 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
Speed20 knots (37 km/h)
Range
  • 14,000 nautical miles at 20 kt
  • (26,000 km at 37 km/h)
Capacity
  • Max dry cargo weight:
  •   5,910 long tons (6,005 t)
  • Max dry cargo volume:
  •   783,000 cubic feet (22,000 m³)
  • Max cargo fuel weight:
  •   2,350 long tons (2,390 t)
  • Cargo fuel volume:
  •   18,000 barrels (2,900 m³)
  •   (DFM: 10,500) (JP5:7,500)
Complement123 civilian
Electronic warfare
& decoys
NONE
Armament
Aircraft carriedtwo helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Puma

The contract to build Carl Brashear was awarded to General Dynamics's subsidiary National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on January 11, 2005. Her keel was laid down on November 2, 2007. The completed ship was delivered to the Navy on March 4, 2009.[2]

During Operation Tomodachi, Carl Brashear loaded more than 800 pallets of humanitarian cargo at Sasebo's Juliet pier on March 20 and set sail later that day to join the Navy ships operating off northern Japan. Brashear completed 17 underway replenishment missions, delivering more than 1 million gallons (3,800 m3) of fuel to ships supporting Tomodachi.[3]

References

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  This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

  1. ^ "USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7)". United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
  2. ^ "Navy Gets Cargo Ship Brashear From NASSCO". San Diego Union-Tribune. 5 March 2009.
  3. ^ Baxter, Edward (May 2011). "Disaster! Operation Tomodachi". Military Sealift Command (MSC). Retrieved 2011-10-08.
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