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General Characteristics Crew List Notes of interest History of USNS Supply Patch Gallery Image Gallery End of Page 

USNS Supply (T-AOE 6)

- formerly USS SUPPLY AOE 6 -
- Military Sealift Command -



USNS SUPPLY is the lead ship of the Navy’s newest class of Fast Combat Support Ships. SUPPLY was decommissioned on July 13, 2001, and was transferred to Military Sealift Command where she was placed back in service as a "United States Naval Ship." As a US Naval Ship, SUPPLY does no longer carry the weapons systems she previously (as "USS SUPPLY") was equipped with. One of these systems was the Phalanx CIWS.

General Characteristics:Awarded: January 22, 1987
Keel laid: February 24, 1989
Launched: October 6, 1990
Commissioning: February 26, 1994
Decommissioned: July 13, 2001
MSC "in service": July 13, 2001
Builder: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company San Diego, California
Propulsion System: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Length: 754,6 feet (230 meters)
Beam: 107 feet (32.6 meters)
Draft: 39 feet (11.9 meters)
Displacement: approx. 48,800 tons
Speed: 26 knots
Aircraft: two MH-60S
Armament: none
Homeport: Earle, N.J.
Crew: 176 civilians, 59 military


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USNS SUPPLY. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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Notes of Interest:


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History of USNS SUPPLY:

The AOE 6 contract design was completed in February of 1986, and steel fabrication work for SUPPLY began on 23 June 1988 with the official keel-laying conducted on 24 February 1989. Rear Admiral Daniel W. Mc Kinnon, Jr., then Chief of the Supply Corps, authenticated the keel- laying with his welding expertise.

SUPPLY was built utilizing an efficient modular construction technique. Separate sections of the ship were built with piping sections, ventilation ducting and shipboard hardware, as well as major machinery items, such as main propulsion equipment, generators and electrical panels, installed. These pre-outfitted sections were then brought together to form a complete hull. As a result of this construction technique, SUPPLY was nearly 50 percent complete when launched on 6 October 1990.

The next four years were spent completing the electrical wiring, plumbing and ventilation systems, equipment and hardware installation.

During the final phases of construction, SUPPLY went through a series of dockside and sea trials to demonstrate its capabilities, and to ensure product quality.

SUPPLY was commissioned 26 February 1994 at Naval Air Station, North Island in San Diego, California.

Upon completion of initial outfitting in San Diego, SUPPLY transited to Norfolk, Virginia via the Panama Canal and Caribbean Sea, arriving on 7 August 1994.

During the next 10 months, SUPPLY underwent extensive sea trials and shakedown tests, coupled with numerous inspections, evaluations and assist visits designed to prepare the ship and crew for Fleet operations.

SUPPLY completed a five-month yard period, which marked the end of the post-commissioning tests and trials period. She then underwent inspection and evaluations in preparation for deployment with the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Battle Group in 1996.

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USS/USNS SUPPLY Patch Gallery:



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The photo below was taken by Karl-Heinz Ahles when USS SUPPLY visited Corfu, Greece, in August 1996.



The photos below were taken by me and show the SUPPLY undergoing maintenance at Norfolk, Va., on October 27, 2010.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the SUPPLY at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on April 13, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the SUPPLY at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.



The photos below were taken by Helwin Scharn and show the SUPPLY getting ready for departure from Naval Base Kiel, Germany, on June 14, 2021. SUPPLY is in the Baltic Sea in support of Exercise BALTOPS.



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