USNS Sojourner Truth

Lead of the class John Lewis in 2022. Sojourner Truth would look nearly identical
History
United States
Name	Sojourner Truth
Namesake	Sojourner Truth
Awarded	2015
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California
Laid down	21 June 2024
Launched	22 April 2025
Christened	22 April 2025
Identification	Hull number: T-AO-210
Status	Awaiting delivery
General characteristics
Class & type	John Lewis-class replenishment oiler
Displacement	22,515  t (22,159 long tons) (Light ship)
Length	746 ft (227 m)
Beam	106 ft (32 m)
Draft	33.5 ft (10.2 m)
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	99 civilian mariners (CIVMARS)

USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO-210) is a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler planned to be operated by the Military Sealift Command to logistically support the United States Navy. She was launched in 2025 and is named after activist Sojourner Truth.

History

Like the rest of her sister ships, the John Lewis class is intended to replace the older Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers and is heavily based on the former's design. As replenishment oilers, the vessels transport fuel and cargo to other ships at sea to extend their range and capabilities. ^[1]

Initially known as T-AO-210, she was ordered in 2015 from NASSCO along with the first six ships of the class at an estimated cost of $800 million apiece. ^{[2] : 6} The next year, she was named after 19th-century abolitionist and suffragist Sojourner Truth, which followed a theme of naming the oilers after activists. ^[3] Her keel was laid on 21 June 2024 at the company's San Diego shipyard, and she was both christened and launched on 22 April 2025. ^{[4] [5]}

References

1. "John Lewis-Class Replenishment Oiler Ships, USA". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
2. "Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). fas.org. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
3. "Secretary of the Navy Names Two Fleet Replenishment Oilers". defense.gov. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
4. "Keel Authenticated for Future USNS Sojourner Truth". navsea.navy. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
5. Balc, Tessa (2025-04-27). "Future USNS Sojourner Truth, the Navy's 6th new fleet oiler, launched at NASSCO shipyard". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-06-08.