USNS John Glenn

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USNS John Glenn
USNS John Glenn (T-MLP-2) underway in January 2014.jpg
USNS John Glenn underway in January 2014
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
Namesake John Glenn
Owner Military Sealift Command
Ordered27 May 2011 [1]
Builder NASSCO
Laid down17 April 2012
Launched15 September 2013 [2]
In service12 March 2014 [2]
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and type Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer dock
Displacement34,500 tonnes [1]
Length765 ft (233 m)
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) [1]
Range9,000  nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) [1]

USNS John Glenn (T-ESD-2), (formerly MLP-2) [3] is a United States Navy Expeditionary Transfer Dock ship named in honor of John Glenn, a Naval Aviator, retired United States Marine Corps colonel, veteran of World War II and the Korean War, astronaut, and United States senator. [4]

Contents

Design

A US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) LCAC 19970620.jpg
A US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)

The Expeditionary Transfer Dock is a new concept, part of the Maritime Prepositioning Force of the future. To control costs, the ships will not be built to combat vessel standards and are designed primarily to support three military hovercraft (such as the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)), vehicle staging with a sideport ramp and large mooring fenders. A decision was made to eliminate helicopter capability and ship-to-ship transfer of heavy equipment. [1]

The propulsion motors are of British design and build. Power conversion company Converteam was selected as the supplier of Integrated Power Systems with the award of an additional contract to design and supply the electric power, propulsion and vessel automation system. [5]

As an auxiliary support ship, her role would be a seagoing pier for friendly forces in case accessibility to onshore bases is denied. Such flexibility would be useful following natural disasters and for supporting US Marines once they are ashore. [1] [4]

Construction

Sean Stackley and John Glenn at the christening ceremony in February 2014 JohnGlennSeanStackleyMLP2ChristeningFeb2014.jpg
Sean Stackley and John Glenn at the christening ceremony in February 2014

The ship's keel was laid down on 17 April 2012 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego, California. [6] She was christened on 2 February 2014 and was attended by John Glenn and his family. Other Navy and Marine guest speakers that attended the ceremony include Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions) Sean Stackley, Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert, and Lieutenant General John A. Toolan. [7]

John Glenn was delivered in 2014 to the Military Sealift Command's Maritime Prepositioning Force. [6] [8] [9] As an ESD, the ship is under the command of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command, and thus will not be commissioned into the US Navy (hence her designation prefix, "USNS"). [1] The ship will undergo further construction additions at the Vigor Shipyard in Portland, Oregon. [9]

Ship re-designation

Effective 4 September 2015, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially announced the creation of a new ship designation, "E" for expeditionary support. Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) will be called Expeditionary Fast Transport, or EPF; the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) will be called Expeditionary Transfer Dock, or ESD; and the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) variant of the MLP will be called Expeditionary Mobile Base, or ESB. The new designation was pursuant to a memorandum sent to Secretary Mabus from Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert dated 31 August 2015. [3]

Related Research Articles

The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.

<i>San Antonio</i>-class amphibious transport dock Amphibious Transport Dock

The San Antonio class is a class of amphibious transport docks, also called a "landing platform, dock" (LPD), used by the United States Navy. These warships replace the Austin-class LPDs, as well as the Newport-class tank landing ships, and the Charleston-class amphibious cargo ships that have already been retired.

USNS <i>Lewis and Clark</i> (T-AKE-1) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1) is an American dry cargo ship, the lead ship of her namesake class. It was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The contract to build her was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 18 October 2001 and her keel was laid down on 22 April 2004. She was launched on 21 May 2005, co-sponsored by Jane Lewis Sale Henley and Lisa Clark, descendants of the ship's namesakes. She was delivered to the Navy on 20 June 2006.

Military Sealift Command United States Navy command overseeing logistics

Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US military services as well as for other government agencies. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's ocean transport needs. The MSTS was renamed the Military Sealift Command in 1970.

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, commonly referred to as NASSCO, is an American shipbuilding company with three shipyards located in San Diego, Norfolk and Mayport. It is a division of General Dynamics. The San Diego shipyard specializes in constructing commercial cargo ships and auxiliary vessels for the US Navy and Military Sealift Command; it is the only new-construction shipyard on the West Coast of the United States. The Virginia shipyard primarily performs ship repairs and conversions for the United States Navy.

USNS <i>GySgt. Fred W. Stockham</i> (T-AK-3017) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USNS GySgt Fred W. Stockham (T-AK-3017) is a Shughart-class container & roll-on roll-off support vessel in the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC). The vessel is the second Navy ship named after Marine Gunnery Sergeant Fred W. Stockham (1881–1918), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I.

USNS <i>Soderman</i> (T-AKR-317) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) is a Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ship (LMSR) and is part of the Military Sealift Command. The USNS Soderman is in the Preposition Program which stations ships across the world with military equipment. The Soderman is Watson-class vehicle cargo ship built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The ship was launched on April 26, 2002 and put into service on the 24 of September 2002. The ship was named after Private First Class William A. Soderman, a Medal of Honor Recipient for World War II.

<i>Spearhead</i>-class expeditionary fast transport

The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport (EPF) is a United States Navy–led shipbuilding program to provide a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intra-theater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPF will reach speeds of 35–45 knots and will allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies." The vessels are a part of Military Sealift Command's Sealift Program. The class was previously designated as "Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV)", but was redesignated in September 2015.

USNS <i>Fall River</i> (T-EPF-4)

USNS Fall River (JHSV-4/T-EPF-4) is the fourth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, which is operated by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC). Fall River was built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.

Expeditionary Transfer Dock Class of cargo ship

An Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD), formerly the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), is designed to be a semi-submersible, flexible, modular platform providing the US Navy with the capability to perform large-scale logistics movements such as the transfer of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore. These ships significantly reduce the dependency on foreign ports and provide support in the absence of port availability. The class also houses a sub-class variant called the Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB), formerly the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB).

USNS <i>Montford Point</i>

USNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1),, the lead ship of her class of Expeditionary Transfer Docks (ESD), is a ship named in honor of African American Marine Corps recruits who trained at Montford Point Camp, North Carolina, from 1942 to 1949. After $115 million was allocated for long-lead time material and advanced design efforts, in late 2010 General Dynamics's National Steel and Shipbuilding Company was awarded the contract, worth approximately $500 million, to build the first of three planned vessels.

USNS <i>Millinocket</i> (T-EPF-3)

USNS Millinocket (JHSV-3/T-EPF-3), (ex-Fortitude) is the third Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, which is operated by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command and was built in Mobile, Alabama.

USS <i>Lewis B. Puller</i> (ESB-3) US Navy expeditionary mobile base vessel

USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3), is the first purposely-built expeditionary mobile base vessel for the United States Navy, and the second ship to be named for Chesty Puller. She is the lead ship of her class of expeditionary mobile bases and is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class of expeditionary transfer docks. Lewis B. Puller replaced USS Ponce with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf in Fall 2017.

USNS <i>Choctaw County</i> (T-EPF-2) Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport

USNS Choctaw County (JHSV-2/T-EPF-2), (ex-Vigilant) is the second Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, which is operated by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command and was built in Mobile, Alabama.

USNS <i>John Lewis</i> (T-AO-205) Oiler of the United States Navy

USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205) is a United States Navy replenishment oiler and the lead ship of her class. She is part of the Military Sealift Command fleet of support ships.

USS <i>Hershel "Woody" Williams</i> US Navy expeditionary mobile base vessel

USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, currently in service with the United States Navy. The ship is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer dock (ESD). The ESDs are operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command with predominantly civilian crews, while the ESBs, owing to the nature of their operations, have been commissioned and commanded directly by the U.S. Navy. The ship was named in honor of Hershel W. "Woody" Williams in an announcement by then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, on 14 January 2016. Williams is a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Battle of Iwo Jima, during World War II.

USNS <i>Harvey Milk</i> (T-AO-206) John Lewis-class oiler of the United States Navy

USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) is the second of the John Lewis-class of underway replenishment oilers, operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) to support ships of the United States Navy.

USNS <i>Puerto Rico</i> (T-EPF-11) Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport

USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11) is the eleventh Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport and currently in service with the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command.

USS <i>Miguel Keith</i> US Navy expeditionary mobile base vessel

USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, one of three such ships in service with the United States Navy (USN) as of late 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The US Navy's Mobile Landing Platform Ships (MLP)". Defenseindustrydaily.com. Watershed Publishing. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "John Glenn (T-ESD-2)". Naval Vessel Register . Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Navy Renames Three Ship Classes, Creates 'Expeditionary' Designator in Naming System". USNI News Blog. United States Naval Institute. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (4 January 2012). "Navy Names First Three Mobile Landing Platform Ships". Defense.gov. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Conversion to Supply Propulsion Systems for US Navy's Mobile Landing Platform Program". Converteam.com. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  6. 1 2 "General Dynamics NASSCO Begins Construction of the Future USNS John Glenn" (Press release). NASSCO. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "USNS John Glenn christened: Navy names ship in honor of the former astronaut and Ohio senator". The Plain Dealer . Associated Press. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Scott, Richard (30 September 2010). "Floating world: US Navy eyes Mobile Landing Platform as sea base pontoon". International Defence Review. Jane's Information Group.
  9. 1 2 "NASSCO Delivers Second Mobile Landing Platform". United States Naval Institute News. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
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