Name USNS Henry J. Kaiser Laid down 22 August 1984 Status Full operation Launched 5 October 1985 Builder Avondale Shipyard | Awarded 12 November 1982 In service 19 December 1986 Construction started 22 August 1984 Length 206 m | |
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Namesake Henry J. Kaiser (1882–1967) | ||
USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) is a United States Navy replenishment oiler and the lead ship of her class. She is operated by Military Sealift Command and therefore has a "USNS" prefix for United States Naval Ship. She is named for Henry J. Kaiser (1882–1967), an American industrialist and shipbuilder.
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Construction and delivery
Henry J. Kaiser was laid down by Avondale Shipyard, Inc., in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 22 August 1984 and launched on 5 October 1985. She was the lead ship of the Henry J. Kaiser class of fleet replenishment oilers. She entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service with the Military Sealift Command on 19 December 1986.
Service history
Following delivery, the Henry J. Kaiser operated out of Norfolk, Virginia, as part of the Second Fleet. In 1995, she was forward deployed to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as part of the pre-positioning fleet. In 2002, she was transferred to the Third Fleet and placed in reduced operating status in Portland, Oregon. She was activated briefly in 2003 when two other oilers were simultaneously undergoing planned maintenance. In 2005, she was re-activated to full service as part of the Third Fleet, where she remains to this day.
Great Green Fleet
During RIMPAC 2012, Kaiser delivered 900,000 gallons of a 50-50 blend of advanced biofuels and traditional petroleum-based fuel to the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) strike group. The fuel delivery is part of the Navy's Great Green Fleet demonstration, which allows the Navy to test, evaluate and demonstrate the cross-platform utility and functionality of advanced biofuels in an operational setting. This will achieve one of the five energy goals established by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, to demonstrate a Great Green Fleet in local operations by 2012.
