USNS Alan Shepard

USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship in the United States Navy. She is named after the astronaut and Rear Admiral, Alan Shepard (1923–1998), the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.

USNS Alan Shepard sails out of San Diego harbor.
History
United States
Name	USNS Alan Shepard
Namesake	Alan Shepard
Awarded	16 July 2002
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding
Laid down	14 February 2006
Launched	6 December 2006
In service	26 June 2007[1]
Identification	IMO number: 9284350 MMSI number: 369498000 Callsign: NSHE
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship
Displacement	23,852 tons light, 40,298 tons full, 16,446 tons dead
Length	210 m (689 ft) overall, 199.3 m (654 ft) waterline
Beam	32.3 m (106 ft) extreme, 32.3 m (106 ft) waterline
Draft	9.1 m (30 ft) maximum, 9.4 m (31 ft) limit
Propulsion	Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6 kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Range	14,000 nautical miles at 20 kt (26,000 km at 37 km/h)
Capacity	Max dry cargo weight:   5,910 long tons (6,005 t) Max dry cargo volume:   783,000 cubic feet (22,000 m³) Max cargo fuel weight:   2,350 long tons (2,390 t) Cargo fuel volume:   18,000 barrels (2,900 m³)   (DFM: 10,500) (JP5:7,500)
Complement	49 military, 123 civilian
Electronic warfare & decoys	Nulka decoy launchers
Armament	2–6 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns or 7.62 mm medium machine guns
Aircraft carried	two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Puma

Service history

The contract to build her was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, on 16 July 2002. Construction began on 13 September 2005. She was launched on 6 December 2006, sponsored by Laura Churchley, daughter of RAdm. Shepard.^[2]

Alan Shepard entered active service in 2007.^[3] She was initially part of the Pacific Fleet.

During Exercise Pacific Vanguard in August 2022, Alan Shepard launched a BQM-177A target drone during live-fire practice with the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and the Australian frigate HMAS Perth; this was the first time the drone was used in a training exercise. Both vessels launched missiles at the BWM-177A and successfully intercepted it.^[4]

By 2023, Alan Shepard was assigned to the United States Fifth Fleet. In July 2023, Alan Shepard entered a shipyard in Al Hidd, Bahrain, and on 15 July, while leaving the shipyard, she ran aground. None of the approximately 85 individuals on the ship were injured in the accident. The next day, tugboats refloated Alan Shepard.^[3] An inspection after the accident revealed that Alan Shepard was not significantly damaged.^[5]

References

Alan Shepard launching, San Diego, 6 December 2006

 This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

1. "USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3)". Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
2. "Navy to Christen USNS Alan Shepard". Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), U.S. Dept. of Defense. 6 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
3. Slayton, Nicholas (16 July 2023). "Navy Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Bahrain". taskandpurpose.com. Task & Purpose. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
4. Gonzales, Deanna (2 September 2022). "U.S. Navy Completes First BQM-177A Target Intercept during Missile Launch". cpf.navy.mil. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
5. Correll, Diana Stancy (17 July 2023). "Navy Investigating Grounding of Cargo Ship in Bahrain". navytimes.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

External links

• Priolo, Gary P. (22 February 2008). "USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3)". Service Ship Photo Archive. NavSource Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008.