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.jpg) USNS Watson, thelead ship of the class. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Watson class |
| Builders | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company |
| Built | 1996–2002 |
| In commission | 1998-present |
| Planned | 8 |
| Completed | 8 |
| Active | 8 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off |
| Displacement | 62,970 tons full |
| Length | 951.4 ft (290.0 m) |
| Beam | 106 ft (32.3 m) |
| Draft | 34.1 ft (10.4 m) maximum |
| Propulsion | Gas turbine |
| Speed | 24knots (44 km/h) |
| Capacity | 393,000 sq ft (36,511 m2) |
| Crew | 26 civilian crew (up to 45); up to 50 active duty |
| Aviation facilities | helicopter landing area |
TheWatson-class vehicle cargo ship is a class ofLarge, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ship used forprepositioning of military vehicles and other materiel by theUnited States. Theclass comprises eight ofMilitary Sealift Command's nineteen ships of this type,[1] and is one part of the 33 ships involved in the Prepositioning Program. The ships are named afterMedal of Honor recipients.
Thelead ship of this class isUSNS Watson. The class, as with the lead ship, was named for PrivateGeorge Watson, aUnited States Army soldier killed at sea duringWorld War II.[2][3]Watson waslaid down on 23 May 1996,launched on 26 July 1997, and put into service in thePacific Ocean on 23 June 1998.[4] The most recent ship of the class isUSNS Soderman, laid down on 31 October 2000, launched on 26 April 2002, and put into service in the Pacific Ocean on 24 September 2002.
| Ship | Hull. No. | Namesake | Laid down | Launched | Delivered | Status | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson | T-AKR-310 | George Watson | 23 May 1996 | 26 July 1997 | 23 June 1998 | Active | [5] |
| Sisler | T-AKR-311 | George K. Sisler | 15 April 1997 | 28 February 1998 | 1 December 1998 | Active | [5] |
| Dahl | T-AKR-312 | Larry G. Dahl | 12 November 1997 | 2 October 1998 | 13 July 1999 | Active | [5] |
| Red Cloud | T-AKR-313 | Mitchell Red Cloud | 29 June 1998 | 7 August 1999 | 18 January 2000 | Active | [5] |
| Charlton | T-AKR-314 | Cornelius H. Charlton | 4 January 1999 | 11 December 1999 | 23 May 2000 | Active | [5] |
| Watkins | T-AKR-315 | Travis E. Watkins | 24 August 1999 | 28 July 2000 | 2 March 2001 | Active | [5] |
| Pomeroy | T-AKR-316 | Ralph E. Pomeroy | 25 April 2000 | 10 March 2001 | 14 August 2001 | Active | [5] |
| Sodermon | T-AKR-317 | William A. Soderman | 31 October 2000 | 26 April 2002 | 24 September 2002 | Active | [5] |
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