Title: Fast Combat Support Ships (AOE)
Action: A picture of a support ship is shown on the right. The following text is shown below it:
The fast combat support ship (AOE) is the Navy’s largest combat logistics ship. The AOE has the speed and armament to keep up with the carrier battle groups. It rapidly replenishes Navy task forces and can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil; 2,150 tons of ammunition; 500 tons of dry stores; and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. It receives petroleum products, ammunition and stores from shuttle ships and redistributes these items simultaneously to carrier battle group ships. This reduces the vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing alongside time. Congress appropriated the funds for the lead ship of the AOE 6 (Supply class) in 1987. Supply was decommissioned on 13 July 2001 and transferred to Military Sealift Command where she was placed back in service as a “United States Naval Ship.” Ship characteristics: speed, 25 knots; crew consists of 24 officers and 376 enlisted for Supply class; the Sacramento class has 24 officers and 576 enlisted; aircraft on board includes three CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters for the Supply class and two CH-46E helicopters for the Sacramento class; ship’s armament includes NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems, and two 25mm machine guns for the Supply Class only.