USNS Alan Shepard
{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=USNS Alan Shepard (from MSC).jpg |Ship image size=300px |image alt= |Ship caption=USNS Alan Shepard sails out of San Diego harbor. }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United States |Ship flag= {{USN flag}} |Ship name=USNS Alan Shepard |Ship namesake= Alan Shepard |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= 16 July 2002 |Ship builder=National Steel and Shipbuilding |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= 14 February 2006 |Ship launched= 6 December 2006 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship in service= 26 June 2007{{cite web | url= {{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=AKE3}} | title= USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) |date= 29 June 2007 | work= Naval Vessel Register | publisher= United States Navy | access-date= 2008-05-13 }} |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|9284350}}
|Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship status={{Ship in active service}} |Ship fate= |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship |Ship type= |Ship tonnage= |Ship displacement=*23,852 tons light,
|Ship length=*{{convert|210|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} overall,
|Ship beam=*{{convert|32.3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} extreme,
|Ship height= |Ship draft=*{{convert|9.1|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} maximum,
|Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6 kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster |Ship speed={{convert|20|kn|km/h|0}} |Ship range=*14,000 nautical miles at 20 kt
|Ship boats= |Ship capacity=*Max dry cargo weight:
|Ship troops= |Ship complement=49 military, 123 civilian |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW=Nulka decoy launchers |Ship armament=*2–6 × M2 Browning machine guns
|Ship aircraft=two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Puma |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship in the United States Navy. She is named after the astronaut and Rear Admiral, Alan Shepard (1923–1998), the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.
Service history
The contract to build her was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, on 16 July 2002. Construction began on 13 September 2005. She was launched on 6 December 2006, sponsored by Laura Churchley, daughter of RAdm. Shepard.{{cite web
|url = http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/pms325/alanshepard.htm
|title = Navy to Christen USNS Alan Shepard
|date = 6 December 2006
|publisher = Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), U.S. Dept. of Defense
|access-date = 2008-05-13
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20070614150720/http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/pms325/alanshepard.htm
|archive-date = 14 June 2007
}}
Alan Shepard entered active service in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-cargo-ship-runs-aground-bahrain/|website=taskandpurpose.com|publisher=Task & Purpose|date=16 July 2023|access-date=17 July 2023|title=Navy Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Bahrain|last=Slayton|first=Nicholas}} She was initially part of the Pacific Fleet.
During Exercise Pacific Vanguard in August 2022, Alan Shepard launched a BQM-177A target drone during live-fire practice with the guided-missile destroyer {{USS|Barry|DDG-52|6}} and the Australian frigate {{HMAS|Perth|FFH 157|6}}; this was the first time the drone was used in a training exercise. Both vessels launched missiles at the BWM-177A and successfully intercepted it.{{cite web|url=https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Newsroom/News/Article/3148531/us-navy-completes-first-bqm-177a-target-intercept-during-missile-launch/|title=U.S. Navy Completes First BQM-177A Target Intercept during Missile Launch|website=cpf.navy.mil|last=Gonzales|first=Deanna|date=2 September 2022|access-date=18 July 2023}}
By 2023, Alan Shepard was assigned to the United States Fifth Fleet. In July 2023, Alan Shepard entered a shipyard in Al Hidd, Bahrain, and on 15 July, while leaving the shipyard, she ran aground. None of the approximately 85 individuals on the ship were injured in the accident. The next day, tugboats refloated Alan Shepard. An inspection after the accident revealed that Alan Shepard was not significantly damaged.{{cite web|url=https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/07/17/navy-investigating-grounding-of-cargo-ship-in-bahrain/|title=Navy Investigating Grounding of Cargo Ship in Bahrain|website=navytimes.com|date=17 July 2023|access-date=18 July 2023|first=Diana Stancy|last=Correll}}
References
File:USNS Alan Shepard launching.jpg{{Naval Vessel Register}}
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|IMO 9284350}}
- {{cite web
| url= http://www.navsource.net/archives/09/75/7503.htm
| title= USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3)
| last= Priolo | first= Gary P. | date= 22 February 2008
|website=NavSource
| access-date= 2008-05-13 }}
{{Lewis and Clark class dry cargo ship}}
{{2023 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3)}}
Category:Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships
Category:Ships built in San Diego