USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300)
Encyclopedia
USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300), the lead ship of her class
Bob Hope class vehicle cargo ship
The Bob Hope class vehicle cargo ship is a class of vehicle cargo ships, used for prepositioning of Army vehicles. The lead ship of this class is USNS Bob Hope ....

 of vehicle cargo ships for Army vehicle prepositioning
Maritime Prepositioning ship
The 31 Maritime Prepositioning Ships are part of the United States Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program. They are strategically positioned around the globe to support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency...

, is the only naval ship of the United States to be named for Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...

, the entertainer. Very few ships of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 have been named for a person who was alive at the time of the christening.

The contract to build her was awarded to Avondale Industries on 2 September 1993 and her keel was laid down on 29 May 1995. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...

 on 27 March 1997, and delivered on 18 November 1998.

A non-combatant roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessel crewed by civilian mariners under the Navy's Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...

, Bob Hope and other ships of the class are used to preposition tanks, trucks and other wheeled vehicles and supplies needed to support an Army heavy brigade.

Bob Hope has already seen service delivering supplies and equipment to the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

 and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

.

Features

The ship has two 110-ton Hagglunds deck crane pedestals mounted with twin cranes.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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