USNS Comet

Last updated

Comet T-AK-269.jpg
USNS Comet underway, date and place unknown.
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
Name
  • USNS Comet (T-AK-269)
  • USNS Comet (T-LSV-7)
  • USNS Comet (T-AKR-7)
  • SS Comet (T-AKR-7)
Builder Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Launched31 July 1957
Identification IMO number:  8450665
FateScrapped 28 September 2015
General characteristics
Displacement
  • 8,175 long tons (8,306 t) light
  • 18,286 long tons (18,579 t) full
Length467 ft (142 m)
Beam78 ft (24 m)
Draft27 ft (8.2 m)
PropulsionTwo steam turbines, twin shafts
Speedaverage 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
ArmamentM14 rifles, and M2 50caliber machine gun pintle mounts welded to the railing by Marines of 4th Landing Support Battalion.

USNS Comet (T-AK-269), later T-LSV-7, later T-AKR-7, later SS Comet, was a vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy. The lone ship of her class, she was named for the comet, and was the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Comet was laid down 31 July 1957 under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 42) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania; launched 31 July 1957; delivered to the Navy 27 January 1958; and placed in service under control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as cargo ship USNS Comet (T-AK-269).

Redesignated vehicle landing ship T-LSV-7 on 1 January 1963; further redesignated vehicle cargo ship /Roll-on/roll-off ship AKR-7 (date unknown), as such becoming one of the first ship in the world to be specifically designed for loading, shipping and discharge of Roll-on/roll-off cargoes.

Her title was transferred to MARAD, she was redesignated SS Comet and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, California as a member of the MARAD Ready Reserve Force (RRF). [1]

Reactivated in 2003 to ferry US Marine Engineers (12 Marines) and equipment from San Diego to Kuwait, with stops in Guam and Dubai/UAE in preparation for the Iraqi conflict (2003–present).

Removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the National Defense Reserve Fleet 28 July 2006. In 2014, the Maritime Administration submitted a docket for disposing of the ship from the National Defense Reserve Fleet. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defense Reserve Fleet</span> United States Maritime Administration reserve fleet

The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States, mostly merchant vessels, that have been mothballed but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies, or non-military emergencies such as commercial shipping crises.

USNS <i>Mission Santa Ynez</i>

SS Mission Santa Ynez was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. After the war she was acquired by the United States Navy as USS Mission Santa Ynez (AO-134). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission Santa Ynez (T-AO-134). A Mission Buenaventura-class oiler, she was named for Mission Santa Inés located in Solvang, California.

USNS <i>Sea Lift</i>

USNS Sea Lift (T-LSV-9) was a roll on/roll off (Ro/Ro) cargo ship built for the United States Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), currently the Military Sealift Command (MSC). She became the first ship of Ro/Ro-type to deliver cargo to Vietnam during the war in Indochina.

USNS <i>Sgt. Truman Kimbro</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USNS Sgt. Truman Kimbro (T-AK-254) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship built for the U.S. Maritime Commission during the final months of World War II as the SS Hastings Victory.

SS <i>Denebola</i> (T-AKR-289) US Navy Algol class cargo ship launched 1973

SS Denebola is an Algol-class vehicle cargo ship that is currently maintained by the United States Maritime Administration as part of the Military Sealift Command's Ready Reserve Force (RRF). She was built as a high speed container ship by Rotterdamsche D.D.Mij N.V. in Rotterdam, Netherlands, hull no. 332, for Sea-Land Service, Inc. and named SS Sea-Land Resource, USCG ON 550723, IMO 7325253. Due to her high operating cost, she was sold to the United States Navy in October 1981 as USNS Denebola (T-AK-289).

USNS <i>Pollux</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USNS Pollux (T-AK-290), later T-AKR-290, the fourth United States Navy ship of the name, is an Algol-class vehicle cargo ship that is currently maintained by the United States Maritime Administration as part of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) as SS Pollux (T-AKR-290).

MV <i>Gary I. Gordon</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

MV Gary I. Gordon, formerly USNS Gordon (T-AKR-296), is a Gordon-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy. She was originally built as a merchant vessel, acquired and converted by the Navy, and was assigned to the United States Department of Defense's Military Sealift Command. As of April 2023, the ship was part of the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Force (RRF).

MV <i>Charles L. Gilliland</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

MV Charles L. Gilliland, formerly USNS Gilliland (T-AKR-298), is a Gordon-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy. She was originally built as a merchant vessel but later acquired and converted by the Navy, and assigned to the United States Department of Defense's Military Sealift Command. Gilliland was built in 1972 as MV Selandia. After some time spent in commercial service she was lengthened by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 1984, and later went on to be acquired by the US Navy under a long term charter. She was converted to a US Navy Vehicle Roll-on/Roll-off Ship at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia, in a contract dated 23 May 1997 and on completion was assigned to the Military Sealift Command under the name USNS Gilliland, after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Charles L. Gilliland. Gilliland is one of 28 Strategic Sealift Ships operated by the Military Sealift Command. She was assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force, and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4.

USS Comet or USNS Comet has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to:

SS <i>Keystone State</i> (T-ACS-1) Crane ship in Ready Reserve for the United States Navy

SS Keystone State (T-ACS-1) is a crane ship in ready reserve for the United States Navy. The ship was named for the state of Pennsylvania, which is also known as the Keystone State.

SS <i>Green Mountain State</i> Crane ship in ready reserve for the United States Navy

SS Green Mountain State (T-ACS-9) is a crane ship in ready reserve for the United States Navy. The ship was named for the state of Vermont, which is also known as the Green Mountain State.

MV <i>Cape Vincent</i> (T-AKR-9666)

MV Cape Vincent (T-AKR-9666) was built as MV Marzario Italia in 1984 at Italcantieri, Italy. After launch, it was delivered to CMB Italy after which it was briefly renamed Taabo Italia. She was acquired on 13 May 1993 by the US Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration and renamed Cape Vincent, on 1 February 1994, assigned to the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force ships. Cape Vincent is operated by Patriot Contract Services. When activated, Cape Vincent is one of the Maritime Administration's 31 roll-on/roll-off Reserve Force ships assigned to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) Sealift Program Office. Cape Vincent is nested at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, in ROS-5 status, with a 10-man maintenance crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet</span> United States reserve fleet managed by the Maritime Administration

The Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet colloquially known as the mothball fleet, is located on the northwest side of Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. The fleet is within a regulated navigation area that is about 4+12 miles long and 12 mile (0.80 km) wide. It begins just north of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge and runs northeast, parallel to the shoreline. Water depths range from about 46 feet at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) at the foot of the anchorage, to about 26 feet (8 m) MLLW at the shallowest berths towards the northern end of the anchorage. As of February 2024, seven ships remain in the fleet.

MV <i>Cape Ducato</i>

MV Cape Ducato (T-AKR-5051) was delivered in September 1972, as MV Barranduna at Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstads AB, Sweden. She was acquired by the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) on 18 November 1985 and renamed MV Cape Ducato. She was assigned to MARAD Ready Reserve Force, (RRF) and is one of the Military Sealift Command's (MSC) 31 Roll-on/Roll-off ships and one of the 63 ships of the Sealift Program Office. Cape Ducato is laid up as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in a layberth at Joint Base Charleston in North Charleston, South Carolina in ROS-5 status.

SS <i>Cape May</i> (T-AKR-5063)

SS Cape May (T-AKR-5063) is a steam turbine powered heavy-lift Seabee barge carrier, one of two ships of her type in the Military Sealift Command's Ready Reserve Force.

MV <i>Cape Texas</i> (T-AKR-112)

For MV Cape Texas, a World War II Type C1-A, see Type C1 ships

MV <i>Cape Taylor</i>

MV Cape Taylor (T-AKR-113) is a roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ship with the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) of the United States Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). As of 31 December 2014, her homeport is the Port of Houston in Houston, Texas, and she is on ROS-5 status; she is able to be fully operational within 5 days of being activated. When activated, she becomes part of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).

MV <i>Cape Trinity</i>

MV Cape Trinity (T-AKR-9711) is a Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) ship with the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) of the United States Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). As of 31 December 2014, the homeport of this motor vessel (MV) is the Port of Houston in Houston, Texas, and she is on ROS-5 status; she is able to be fully operational within 5 days of being activated. When activated, she becomes part of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James River Reserve Fleet</span> Reserve Fleet in Virginia

The James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) is located on the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia at near Fort Eustis. James River Reserve Fleet, a "ghost fleet", is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The Reserve Fleet ships in storage, called "mothballed", that can be ready for use if needed. Many are awaiting scrapping due to the age or condition of the ship. Some ships are used for target practice or as artificial reefs. A few ships became museum ships and other sold to private companies. Ships can be readied for use in 20 to 120 days during national emergencies or natural disaster. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) provides oversight of the James River Reserve Fleet. For the United States Navy ships the United States Navy reserve fleets stored these ships and submarines.

References

  1. "The Ready Reserve Force (RRF)". www.maritime.dot.gov.
  2. "Ship Disposal: Ex-USNS COMET". 23 April 2014.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .