The U.S. Navy’s duty oiler in the Mediterranean Sea, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195), is currently finishing a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea supplying the U.S. Navy and its allies with fuel and supplies at sea, Dec. 11, 2014.
Grumman, a Military Sealift Command (MSC) ship that operates out of Norfolk, Va., provides underway replenishments-at-sea so warships can stay on station longer without having to pull into port for fuel and supplies.
While operating in 6th Fleet, Grumman works out of Augusta Bay, Sicily, and Souda Bay.
Grumman contains five fuel stations and two cargo stations. Its main purpose is to refuel ships and deliver cargo and supplies to warships underway.
Because Grumman has receiving stations on both its port and starboard sides, it can provide underway replenishment to two ships at one time.
During this rotation as 6th Fleet’s Mediterranean Sea duty oiler, Grumman has conducted 45 underway replenishments for the U.S. Navy and allied navies including Germany, Italy and Spain.
Grumman, a Henry J. Kaiser class-oiler, was built at Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, La. Grumman’s keel was laid down June 7, 1987, and the ship was commissioned August 2, 1989. Grumman’s crew currently consists of 89 civil service mariners, also called CIVMARs.
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Press release, Image: US Navy