The United States Navy

Fast Combat Support Ships - AOE

Updated: 1 October 2004

Description: High-speed vessel, designed as oiler, ammunition and supply ship.

Features: 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.

All the former Supply-class ships have been decommissioned, transferred to Military Sealift Command and placed back in service as a "United States Naval Ship." (See the Fact File page for T-AOE). The lead ship of the Sacramento class was decommissioned 1 October 2004.

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

General Characteristics, Sacramento Class

Builders:
AOE 1, 3, 4, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
AOE 2, New York Shipbuilding
Unit Cost: $458-568 million
Power Plant: Four boilers, geared turbines, two shafts, 100,000 shaft horsepower
Length: 793 feet (237.9 meters)
Beam: 107 feet (32.1 meters)
Displacement: 53,000 tons (53,850.55 metric tons) full load
Speed: 26 knots (30 miles, 48 km per hour)
Aircraft: Two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters
Ships:
USS Camden (AOE 2), Bremerton, WA
USS Seattle (AOE 3), Earle, NJ
USS Detroit (AOE 4), Earle, NJ
Crew: 24 officers, 576 enlisted
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems.
Date Deployed: March 14, 1964 - USS Sacramento (AOE 1)

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