Overview
- The Navy formally accepted delivery of USNS Sojourner Truth from General Dynamics NASSCO on Tuesday, June 9, marking the official handover after successful integrated sea trials.
- Sojourner Truth is the sixth ship in the John Lewis‑class fleet replenishment oiler program and will operate under Military Sealift Command with a civilian mariner crew.
- John Lewis‑class oilers carry about 162,000 barrels of fuel, have double hulls and strengthened tanks to reduce spill risk, and will include basic self‑defense systems.
- General Dynamics NASSCO is actively building four additional T‑AO ships with contracts for three more, and the program has a keel‑laying for future USNS Harriet Tubman scheduled for June 18.
- The new oilers are intended to replace aging Kaiser‑class ships and boost the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force to extend fleet endurance and sustain distributed maritime operations.