Maersk Tanker Conducts Rare Refueling of U.S. Navy Ship At Sea
In a uncommon incidence, a Maersk tanker refueled a Military Sealift Command oiler whereas at sea throughout an train in worldwide waters off the coast of Japan earlier this month, the U.S. Navy mentioned Wednesday.
The train marks simply the second time within the final 15 years {that a} U.S. Navy tanker carried out fueling operations with a business vessel at sea.
The operation, a part of a four-day coaching occasion, happened off Sasebo, Japan on October twenty second and concerned the USNS Tippecanoe (T-AOP-99) and the U.S.-flagged tanker Maersk Peary, which has been contracted to MSC.
“Typically MSC oilers like Tippecanoe are required to dock pier-side at one of the Navy’s Defense Fuel Support Points,” mentioned Navy Captain Philippe Grandjean, assistant chief of employees for logistics for the COMLOG WESTPAC. “The capability exercised during this training evolution pushes the Navy’s ability to refuel at-sea via commercial tankers and furthers the vision of a distributed, agile logistics concept.”
The Navy explains that beneath sure circumstances, it needs to make sure that it has the pliability to offer the very best property as attainable – even when which means turning to business sector for gas. After all of the U.S. seventh fleet, which operates within the Indo-Asia-Pacific area, covers an space of 48 million sq. miles – that’s virtually 13 occasions the scale of the continental United States.
“Our replenishment oiler crews must be proficient in receiving fuel from commercial tankers in case, for some reason – a natural disaster for example – a vital asset cannot make it into port to refuel,” defined Cmdr. Michael Wilson, deputy assistant chief of employees for logistics for COMLOG WESTPAC. “These operations provide MSC with flexibility in providing operational support to the 7th Fleet in any situation.”
Maersk Peary is beneath a long-term constitution to MSC and is one in every of 4 MSC charters which were specifically outfitted to conduct consolidated cargo functionality operations, together with refueling, with fleet replenishment oilers.
Capt. Wilson added the top aim is to see this type of coaching going down all through the fleet and on as many tankers as attainable.
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