Auxiliary and Support Ships

maneuver within visual range of a suspected mine. The operator can then use the closed-circuit television aboard the MNS to visually identify the object. If the object is identified as a bottom mine, a detonating charge can be placed nearby for subsequent destruction. If the object proves to be a moored mine, the cable can be cut, allowing the mine to float to the surface for subsequent destruction. The United States has current plans to produce 14 ships of the Avenger class. The Naval Reserve Force operates most of the older minesweeping ships. AUXILIARY AND SUPPORT SHIPS The effectiveness of a fleet depends to a great extent on its quantity and type of auxiliary ships. These ships back up the fighting forces with supporting services that keep the fleet operating. The supporting services furnish, when needed, vital supplies such as fuel, ammunition, repair parts, and food. The part auxiliary ships play in time of war is not as highly publicized as that of combat ant ships. However, auxiliary ships fight just as hard as combatant ships in providing their services to the fleet. The type of service an auxiliary provides determines its classification. The initial letter in each designation is an A. An AD is a destroyer tender, while an AS is a submarine tender. An AO is an oiler, and an AOR is a replenishment oiler. An AE is an ammunition (explosives) supply ship, while an AOE is a multiple-product fast combat support ship. An AFS is a combat stores ship; an AR, a repair ship; and an AG, a miscellaneous category that includes a variety of ships. Replenishment-at-Sea Ships In peacetime Navy ships must often remain at sea for long periods; in wartime the fleet usually operates far from bases of support. Therefore, ships require some means of resupply to remain fully capable of carrying out the Navy’s mission and other assigned tasks. This broad operational requirement is met by underway replenishment (UNREP). UNREP has maintained fleets over- seas, such as the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, during peacetime for many years. Underway replenishment refers to all methods of transferring fuel, munitions, supplies, and personnel from one vessel to another while ships are under way. Ships use two general methods of replenishment: connected and vertical. They may use both methods simultaneously. The connected replenishment (CONREP) method uses lines rigged between ships to transfer personnel and lines or hoses rigged between ships to transfer commodities. The vertical replenish- ment (VERTREP) method employs helicopters to transfer personnel and cargo (except fuel). Transferring fuel is called fueling (or refueling) at sea (FAS). Transferring cargo is called replenishment at sea (RAS). Replenishing consists of a certain amount of dead time on the part of the combat ship. During this time the ship is preparing to go alongside the replenishing ship, connecting lines, replenishing, breaking away upon completion, and returning to station. The fewer replenishing “stops” a ship has to make, the less time it remains off station. The process of replenishing a ship under way proceeds more quickly if the replenishing vessel is a multiple-product delivery ship, which carries several types of commodities. Lets look now at some of the replenishment ships used by the Navy. AMMUNITION SHIPS. —Ammunition ships (AEs) operate with replenishment groups to deliver ammunition and missiles to the fleet at sea. Ships of the Kilauea class (fig. 19-19) are 564 feet long and 81 feet wide, draw 26 feet of water, and displace 18,000 tons. At first glance, these figures sound unimpressive; but when compared to World War II AEs, they are a substantial improvement in cargo capacity, cargo handling, and speed. Their design incorporates a mechanical handling system for more rapid loading and off- loading of ammunition. A tension highline system is built into the design, along with new, improved electrohydraulic cargo winches for replenishment at sea. OILERS. —Oilers (AOs), carrying Navy fuel oil and other petroleum products, operate with replenishment groups and deliver their cargo to ships at sea. Oilers can service ships on both sides simultaneously. The number of Navy-manned fleet oilers has diminished as more and more civilian-manned Military Sealift Command ships have assumed responsibilities for supplying the fleet. The Navy is converting all five of the Cimarron-class oilers (fig. 19-20) into “jumbo” oilers. The AO jumbo program is designed to increase the 120,000-barrel fuel capacity of these ships to 150,000 barrels. It 19-18