John Lewis-class replenishment oiler
The John Lewis class is a class of fleet replenishment oilers which began construction in September 2018. The class, named for its lead ship, which was named for the civil rights movement leader and congressman John Lewis, will comprise twenty oilers ships which will be operated by Military Sealift Command to provide underway replenishment of fuel and limited amounts of dry cargo to United States Navy carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and other surface forces, to allow them to operate worldwide.
Design
The John Lewis-class ships are double-hulled and constructed to commercial standards and OPNAVINST 9070.1 requirements. They are classed to American Bureau of Shipping steel vessel rules. The ships have capabilities similar to the s and rely on existing technology. The ships can carry 156,000 barrels of oil and have increased dry cargo storage over the Henry J. Kaiser class.There are stations on both sides of each ship for underway replenishment of fuel and stores, and will have two dry cargo transfer rigs. The John Lewis-class ships have self-defenses against mines and torpedoes, and are equipped with crew-served weapons which are operated by embarked Navy Expeditionary Security Teams for limited self-defense ability against small boat attack.
The ships have space, weight, and power reserved for additional self-defense systems, including close-in weapon systems or SeaRAM, and an anti-torpedo torpedo defense system. Even with additional self-defense systems installed the ships will still require escort if operating in a higher threat environment.