 USNSCharles Drew during 2010 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Charles Drew |
| Namesake | Dr.Charles R. Drew |
| Awarded | 31 January 2008[1] |
| Builder | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company[1] |
| Laid down | 17 March 2009[1] |
| Launched | 27 February 2010[1] |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Bebe Drew Price |
| Acquired | 14 July 2010[2] |
| In service | 2011 |
| Identification | |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Propulsion | Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with 6.6 kV power provided by two Fairbanks-Morse/MAN B&W 8L48/60 and two 9L48/60 diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Range |
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| Capacity |
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| Complement | 49 military, 123 civilian |
| Electronic warfare & decoys | Nulka decoy launchers |
| Armament |
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| Aircraft carried | two helicopters, either SikorskyMH-60S Knighthawk or AerospatialeSuper Puma |
USNSCharles Drew (T-AKE-10) is aLewis and Clark-classdry cargo ship of theUnited States Navy, named in honor of Dr.Charles R. Drew (1904–1950), who developed improved techniques forblood storage, and applied his expert knowledge in developing large-scaleblood banks early inWorld War II, saving thousands ofAllied lives.[3]
The contract to buildCharles Drew was awarded toNational Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) ofSan Diego, California, on 31 January 2008. Her keel was laid down on 17 March 2009.Charles Drew waschristened and launched on 27 February 2010, sponsored by Mrs. Bebe Drew Price, the eldest daughter of Dr. Drew. The principal address at the ceremony was given byVice AdmiralRegina Benjamin, theSurgeon General of the United States.[4]
Charles Drew was delivered to Military Sealift Command on 14 July 2010 and began conducting missions for MSC in spring 2011 and will operate in the Pacific.[2]
On 7 August 2022, theUnited States Navy sent its first ship, USNS Charles Drew, toKattupalli Shipyard ofLarsen & Toubro for an 11-day repair and allied services work.[5][6] The repair work was completed on 17 August 2022. This was a result of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in April 2022 where US was represented bySecretary of DefenseLloyd Austin andU.S. Secretary of StateAntony Blinken.[7]
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