A christening ceremony was held recently for the future USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), the third vessel in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program for the U.S. Navy at General Dynamics NASSCO’s San Diego facility, the company announced Jan. 21.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and other company and naval officials joined the vessel’s sponsor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who shattered the ceremonial champagne bottle against the hull of the Earl Warren, which is being named after the 14th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Along with its namesake, this majestic vessel will be instrumental in shaping the future of our nation, General Dynamics NASSCO president David Carver said.
This 742-foot-long vessel is part of the company’s contract in 2016 to design and construct the first six ships for the U.S. Navy for a new generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class.
Last year, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract modification to build two more John Lewis-class fleet oilers, with the option for an additional oiler, which was included in the 2023 defense budget, the company said.
Meanwhile, two vessels in the T-AO class fleet oiler program, the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy and the future USNS Lucy Stone are being built. The future USNS Harvey Milk will be delivered to the navy sometime in 2023. The USNS John Lewis was delivered last year.
