The United States Navy

Ammunition Ships - AE

Last updated: April 21, 1999

Description: Ammunition ships deliver munitions to warships.

Features: Ammunition ships keep the fleet supplied with ammunition and ordnance, independently or with other combat logistic ships. Ammunition is delivered by slings on ship-to-ship cables, and by helicopters.

Background The Navy's ammunition ships are all of the Kilauea class. The lead ship of the class, USNS Kilauea (T-AE 26), along with USNS Butte (T-AE 27), USNS Santa Barbara (T-AE 28), USNS Flint (T-AE 32), USNS Shasta (T-AE 33)USNS Mount Baker (T-AE 34) and USNS Kiska (T-AE 35) are operated by the Military Sealift Command with a civilian master and crew, but the remaining one is Navy manned with a commanding officer.

Point of Contact:
Public Affairs Office
Naval Sea Systems Command
Washington, DC 20362

General Characteristics, Kiluauea Class

Builder: AE 29, Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, Md.;
Power Plant: Three boilers, geared turbines, one shaft, 22,000 shaft horsepower
Length: 564 feet (169.2 meters)
Beam: 81 feet (24.3 meters)
Displacement: Approximately 18,088 tons full load
Speed: 20 knots (23 miles, 36.8 km, per hour)
Aircraft: Two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
Ships:
USS Mount Hood (AE 29), Bremerton, Wash.
Crew: 17 officers, 366 enlisted
Armament: Two Phalanx close-in-weapons systems
Date deployed: 14 December 1968 (USS Butte)

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