At its San Diego facility, General Dynamics NASSCO has begun construction of the US Navy’s eighth John Lewis-class replenishment oiler with the keel laying of the future USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212). The ceremony formally signified the start of the vessel’s build phase.
The ship honors the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who served nearly three decades on the Supreme Court and was a leading advocate for gender equality. Her daughter, Jane Ginsburg, acting as the ship’s sponsor, marked the occasion by welding her initials onto a ceremonial steel plate destined for the ship’s structure.
This milestone comes shortly after NASSCO delivered the USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), the fifth vessel in the class.
The John Lewis-class initiative was launched in 2016 with a $3.2 billion Navy contract covering six oilers, designated T-AO 205 through T-AO 210. Subsequent contract modifications have increased the number of ships, with the Navy planning a total fleet of 20 to replace the older Henry J. Kaiser-class tankers.
Stretching 746 feet long and 107 feet wide, the new oilers are capable of transporting 162,000 barrels of fuel along with 125 crew members and mission support equipment. Managed by the Military Sealift Command, the vessels use twin diesel engines to achieve speeds of up to 20 knots and operate over distances greater than 6,000 nautical miles.
