.jpg) Robert F. Kennedy following her delivery to the US Navy in 2024 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Robert F. Kennedy |
| Namesake | Robert Kennedy |
| Awarded | 2015 |
| Builder | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company,San Diego, California |
| Laid down | 5 December 2022 |
| Launched | 28 October 2023 |
| Christened | 28 October 2023 |
| Acquired | 10 December 2024 |
| Identification | Hull number: T-AO-208 |
| Status | In active service |
| Badge | _CoA.png) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | John Lewis-classreplenishment oiler |
| Displacement | 22,515 t (22,159long tons) (Light ship) |
| Length | 746 ft (227 m) |
| Beam | 106 ft (32 m) |
| Draft | 33.5 ft (10.2 m) |
| Speed | 20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement | 99 civilian mariners (CIVMARS) |
USNSRobert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208) is aJohn Lewis-classreplenishment oiler operated by theMilitary Sealift Command to logistically support theUnited States Navy. She was launched in 2023 and is named after formerattorney-generalRobert F. Kennedy.
Like the rest of her sister ships, theJohn Lewis class is intended to replace the olderHenry J. Kaiser-class oilers and is heavily based on the former's design. Asreplenishment oilers, the vessels transport fuel and cargo to other ships at sea to extend their range and capabilities.[1]
Initially known as T-AO-208, she was ordered in 2015 fromNASSCO along with the first six ships of the class at an estimated cost of $800 million per ship.[2]: 6 The next year, she was named after formerattorney-generalRobert F. Kennedy for his efforts to combatinequality in the United States.[3][4] Herkeel was laid on 5 December 2022 andlaunched andchristened on 28 October 2023, at the shipyard in San Diego.[5][6] She entered service following her delivery to the Navy on 10 December 2024.[7]
