USNS John Lenthall

	USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189)
History
United States
Namesake	John Lenthall (1807-1882), an American naval architect and shipbuilder
Ordered	22 November 1983
Builder	Avondale Shipyard, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
Laid down	15 July 1985
Launched	9 August 1986
In service	25 July 1987 – 11 November 1996 and 7 December 1998 – present
Out of service	11 November 1996 – 7 December 1998
Identification	IMO number: 8325547; MMSI number: 367932000; Callsign: NJLN;
Status	Active service in Military Sealift Command
General characteristics
Class and type	Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler
Type	Fleet replenishment oiler
Tonnage	31,200 deadweight tons
Displacement	9,500 tons light; Full load variously reported as 42,382 tons and 40,700 long tons (41,353 metric tons);
Length	677 ft (206 m)
Beam	97 ft 5 in (29.69 m)
Draft	35 ft (11 m) maximum
Installed power	16,000 hp (11.9 MW) per shaft; 34,442 hp (25.7 MW) total sustained;
Propulsion	Two medium-speed Colt-Pielstick PC4-2/2 10V-570 diesel engines, two shafts, controllable-pitch propellers
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity	178,000 to 180,000 barrels (28,300 to 28,600 m3) of fuel oil and jet fuel; 7,400 sq ft (690 m2) dry cargo space; eight 20-foot (6.1 m) refrigerated containers with room for 128 pallets;
Complement	103 (18 civilian officers, 1 U.S. Navy officer, 64 merchant seamen, 20 U.S. Navy enlisted personnel)
Armament	Peacetime: none, although does have numerous mounts and arms for .50cal weapons.; Wartime: probably 2 x 20-mm Phalanx CIWS;
Aircraft carried	None
Aviation facilities	Helicopter landing platform
Notes	Five refueling stations; Two dry cargo transfer rigs;

USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189) is a Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy. Her motto is "Shaft of the Spear."

Construction and delivery

John Lenthall, the third ship of the Henry J. Kaiser class, was laid down at Avondale Shipyard, Inc., at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 15 July 1985 and launched on 9 August 1986. The ship entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service with a primarily civilian crew on 25 July 1987.

Service history

John Lenthall served in the United States Atlantic Fleet under MSC control until taken out of active service on 11 November 1996 and placed in reserve.

John Lenthall was reactivated on 7 December 1998, and is in active service in the Atlantic Fleet.

On 17 April 2004, a merchant ship lost steering control while departing Valletta, Malta, and collided with another ship before striking John Lenthall broadside while she was pierside undergoing maintenance. No one aboard John Lenthall suffered injuries, and she sustained only limited damage to outside structures and equipment.^[1]

On 23 September 2008, John Lenthall was shadowed by suspected pirates. They fled after she fired several warning shots in their vicinity.

On 9 March 2021, John Lenthall replenished Italian aircraft carrier Cavour in the Western Atlantic Ocean.^[2]

Images

John Lenthall, right foreground, prepares to refuel the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, aft left, in the Mediterranean Sea.
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman comes alongside John Lenthall for refueling on 3 April 2003.