USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317)

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DN-SC-03-12980.jpeg
USNS SODERMAN (T-AKR 317), underway during the builder's sea trials.
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameUSNS Soderman (T-AKR-317)
Ordered25 February 2000
Builder National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
Laid down31 October 2000
Launched26 April 2002
In service24 September 2002
Identification
Statusin service
General characteristics
Class and type Watson-class vehicle cargo ship
Displacement29,000 tons
Length950 ft
Beam106 ft
Draft34 ft
Propulsion2 GE LM-2500 Gas turbine
Speed24 Knots
Range13,800 miles
Complement30 civilian mariners

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 station ship 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.

Contents

Naming

Pfc William A. Soderman receives the MOH on the White House lawn, 12 October 1945 SodermanMOH2.jpg
Pfc William A. Soderman receives the MOH on the White House lawn, 12 October 1945

The USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) is the second ship to be named after the Medal of Honor recipient William A. Soderman. The first ship has been renamed USNS GySgt. Fred W. Stockham (T-AK-3017) which is a Shughart-class container & roll-on roll-off. William A. Soderman was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. William Soderman received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman on the White House lawn, October 12, 1945. The wife of William Soderman, Virginia Soderman was there for the christening of the ship. Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress. For most of the 19th century, U.S. law included language explicitly assigning the Secretary of the Navy the task of naming new Navy ships. [1]

Construction

The USNS Soderman is a Watson-class Large Medium-Speed Roll on, Roll off ship. The ship was designed and built by Nation Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The ship was laid down October 31, 2000 at NASCCO’s San Diego shipyard. The ship was launched on April 26, 2002 with fireworks and fanfare.

Hull Arrangement

The ship has berthing, recreation and office spaces for a crew of 30 people as well as room for more if a surge is required.

Propulsion Plant

The Soderman has two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines that make 64,000BHP and drive two 24’ controllable pitch propellers that turn at 95 RPM at full power. The ship has the capability of making 12,500 KW of electrical power for shipboard use. The emergency generator has a 2,000 KW capacity. The design speed of the ship is 24 knots with a range of 13,800 miles. The ship has bow thruster units.

Cargo System

The Soderman has a centerline stern slewing ramp as well as port and starboard side port ramps systems which can be used with the new Mobile Landing Platform or (MLP ships) that have just been built. [2] The ship also has two single pedestal twin cranes. The Roll On / Roll Off decks are fixed to the ship as well as fixed and hinged ramps inside the cargo hold. The cargo holds also has environment control as well as foam firefighting and dewatering systems. [3]

Mission and Operations

USNS Soderman off the coast of Saipan. USNSSODERMANSAIPAN.JPG
USNS Soderman off the coast of Saipan.

The mission of the USNS Soderman as part of the Combat Prepositioning Ships is to support the US Army. The CPS program prepositions enough ammunition, food, water, fuel, equipment, and other supplies to sustain elements of two U.S. Army Heavy divisions which may have up to 24,000 personnel for up to 30 days. [4] The crew of the Soderman are civilian mariners and the ship is operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. [5] On October 4, 2012 the US Coast Guard used a MH-65C Dolphin helicopter to do a medical evacuation of a contractor aboard the USNS Soderman which was operating off the coast of Hawaii. [6] In October 2013 the US Navy has awarded the crewing contract to Patriot Contract Services LLC. The contract is for all 8 Watson-class ships in the MSC inventory and is for a little over $63,000,000 a year. The contract includes four one year options which could bring the total amount of the contract to 330,000,000 by the end of September 2018. [7]

Related Research Articles

Strategic sealift ships United States military ship category

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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.

USNS <i>Shughart</i> (T-AKR-295)

USNS Shughart (T-AKR-295) is the lead ship of her class of cargo ships operated by the United States Navy. She is a 'roll-on roll-off' non-combat vessel designated as a "Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off" (LMSR) ship.

USNS <i>GySgt. Fred W. Stockham</i> (T-AK-3017)

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>Dahl</i> (T-AKR-312)

USNS Dahl (T-AKR-312) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship named for Specialist Larry G. Dahl, a Medal of Honor recipient.

USNS <i>Sisler</i> (T-AKR-311)

USNS Sisler (T-ARK-311) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship named for First Lieutenant George K. Sisler, a Medal of Honor recipient.

USNS <i>Red Cloud</i> (T-AKR-313)

USNS Red Cloud is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) Ships and is one of the 49 ships in the prepositioning program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship named for Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient, after whom Camp Red Cloud in Korea is also named.

USNS <i>Charlton</i> (T-AKR-314)

USNS Charlton (T-AKR-314) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship named for Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton, a Medal of Honor recipient.

USNS <i>Watkins</i> (T-AKR-315)

USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship.

USNS <i>Pomeroy</i> (T-AKR-316)

USNS Pomeroy (T-AKR-316) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship named for Private First Class Ralph E. Pomeroy, a Medal of Honor recipient.

USNS <i>Watson</i> (T-AKR-310)

USNS Watson (T-AKR-310) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is the lead ship of her class of vehicle cargo ships.

<i>Watson</i>-class vehicle cargo ship

The Watson-class vehicle cargo ship is a series of vehicle cargo ships, used by the United States for prepositioning of ground vehicles. The class comprises eight of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off ships and is one part of the 33 ships involved in the Prepositioning Program.

USNS <i>Mendonca</i> (T-AKR-303)

USNS Mendonca (T-AKR-303) is a Bob Hope-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy. She was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, New Orleans and delivered to the Navy on 30 January 2001. They assigned her to the United States Department of Defense's Military Sealift Command. Mendonca is named for Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Leroy A. Mendonca, and is one of 11 Surge LMSRs operated by a private company under contract to the Military Sealift Command. She is assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4.

USNS <i>Gilliland</i> (T-AKR-298)

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 is assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force, and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4.

USNS <i>Brittin</i> (T-AKR-305)

USNS Brittin (T-AKR-305) is a Bob Hope-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy. She was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, New Orleans and delivered to the Navy on 30 January 2001. They assigned her to the United States Department of Defense's Military Sealift Command. Brittin is named for Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant First Class Nelson V. Brittin, and is one of 11 Surge LMSRs operated by a private company under contract to the Military Sealift Command. She is assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4.

Expeditionary Transfer Dock

An Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD), formerly the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), are 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> (T-ESD-1)

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.

Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) refers to several classes of Military Sealift Command (MSC) roll-on/roll-off type cargo ships. Some are purpose-built for military cargo, while others were converted.

USNS <i>Yano</i> (T-AKR-297)

USNS Yano (T-AKR-297) was originally constructed as the container ship Leise Maersk in 1980. In 1987 the ship was lengthened and again in the 1990s before it was purchased by the United States Navy. When the transfer was complete the ship underwent a conversion to a large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship at NASSCO.

USNS <i>John Glenn</i> (T-ESD-2) An Expeditionary Mobile Base for the US Navy

USNS John Glenn (T-ESD-2), 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.

References

  1. ↑ Unitited States. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress. N.p.: n.p., 2011. Print
  2. ↑ The US Navy’s Mobile Landing Platform Ships (MLP). (2015, February 1). Defense Industry Daily. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from
  3. ↑ "Sealift New Construction Fact Sheet." General Dynamics/NASSCO:. General Dynamics/NASSCO, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
  4. ↑ LARGE, MEDIUM-SPEED, ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF SHIPS (T-AKR). (2003). Sea Power, 46(1), 125.
  5. ↑ Unitited States. Department of Defense. Defense.gov News Release: NAVY TO CHRISTEN SEALIFT SHIP SODERMAN. N.p., 24 Apr. 2002. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
  6. ↑ Coast Guard Rescues Ill Mariner. (2012, October 4). Mauitvnews
  7. ↑ Unitited States. Department of Defense. Press Operations. Contracts for Tuesday, October 22, 2013. N.p., 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
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