Military Sealift Command receives 10th T-AKE

Military Sealift Command receives 10th T-AKE    The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command on Wednesday received its 10th Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ship.

The USNS Charles Drew.

   The USNS Charles Drew, which was constructed at NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, is part of the Navy's $4 billion T-AKE program, consisting of 14 ships. The deployed T-AKEs operate as part of the Military Sealift Command's combat logistics force, allowing Navy ships to stay at sea.
   The newest T-AKE vessel will start conducting missions next spring in the Pacific. It will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 10 Navy sailors, who provide supply coordination, the command said.
   The Military Sealift Command operates about 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish Navy vessels, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea, and move military supplies to U.S. forces and coalition partners deployed overseas.