Construction starts on US Navy’s 6th John Lewis-class oiler

General Dynamics NASSCO has started construction on the future USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship for the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program.

As informed, the work on the new vessel began on 27 March.

General Dynamics NASSCO was awarded with a contract to design and build the first six ships, T-AO 205 – T-AO 210, by the U.S. Navy for the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class in 2016.

In 2022, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract modification for the construction of two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers (T-AO 211 and 212), with the option for the navy to procure an additional oiler, T-AO 213 which was included in the 2023 defense budget.

The 742-foot-long oilers are designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea and have the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots.