USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8), formerly USS Arctic (AOE-8), is the third ship in the Supply class of fast combat support ships and is the fifth supply ship to carry the name of the region surrounding the North Pole.
Arctic was built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California.
Since decommissioning on 14 June 2002, Arctic has been operated by the Military Sealift Command, homeported in Earle, New Jersey. As a U.S. Naval Ship, Arctic is mostly civilian crewed and no longer carries the weapons systems she previously (as USS Arctic) was equipped with. One of these systems was the Phalanx CIWS.
Arctic has the speed to keep up with the carrier strike groups. She rapidly replenishes Navy task forces and can carry more than of oil; 2,150 tons of ammunition; 500 tons of dry stores; and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. She receives petroleum products, ammunition, and stores from shuttle ships and redistributes these items simultaneously to carrier strike group ships. This reduces the vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing alongside time.
Like other fast combat support ships, she is part of MSC's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force.
USNS Arctic'''s cargo capacities: Diesel Fuel Marine (DFM): JP-5 fuel: Bottled gas: 800 bottles Ordnance stowage: 1,800 tons Chill and freeze stowage: 400 tons Water:
USNS Arctic'''s refueling rigs can pump fuel at a rate of per minute.
US Army helicopter crash On October 22, 2009, a United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment crashed into the ship during a joint training exercise involving fast roping about off Fort Story, Virginia. The crash killed a soldier, Staff Sergeant James R. Stright, 29, and injured eight other service members.King, Lauren, "One Killed, Several Injured In Copter Crash On Navy Ship", Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, October 23, 2009.Clayton, Cindy, and Lauren King, "Army, Navy Investigating Deadly Copter Crash On Ship", Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, October 24, 2009.
Sources
External links
Official MSC ship website