The only US Navy replenishment ship serving the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group (CSG) , deployed in the Middle East in support of Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas and soaring tension between other Iran-backed groups, USNS BIG HORN T-AO 198 ran aground last Monday 23 rd September, 2024 off the coast of Oman damaging her rudder and water flooding into a mechanical space.
Fortunately, no injuries or environmental damage have been reported for the ship and this is significant because the 33 year-old vessel is one of the single hull versions of the Henry J. Kaiser Class oilers.
The Class was introduced during the 80s and have long been the backbone of the Navy’s underway replenishment (UNREP) capabilities. These vessels refuel carrier strike groups and other naval assets at sea—a crucial task ensuring the Navy’s global reach and operational readiness. However, as single hull tankers, they’ve been considered environmentally vulnerable since, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1990 Oil Pollution Act (OPA 90) mandated double-hull designs for commercial oil tankers.
The John Lewis Class, which began construction during September 2018 are the a modern replacement for the aging Kaiser Class, featuring doublehull construction, improved safety, and enhanced fuel capacity.
Archived image of USNS BIG HORN T-AO 198 together with Lewis and Clark Class Dry Cargo Ship USNS SACAGAWEA T-AKE 2 berthed at Augusta, Sicily back to July 2009.
Commercial tankers are significantly slower than Navy oilers, which could leave the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN CVN 72 more vulnerable to attack during aviation fuel loading operations.
Meanwhile the tanker was towed to Duqm, Oman since she’s disable and she’s light on cargo, with the bow high and stern low – a clear sign that she grounded aft.
Despite this crippling blow, U.S. officials vow that the mission continues. They claim the USS Abraham Lincoln stands ready, and the Navy assures us that other support vessels will step in – likely two Lewis and Clark Class Dry Cargo Ship (T-AKE) which have more limited refuel capacity – refueling at ports and ferrying crucial aviation fuel to the carrier.
