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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal
Watson Class Vehicle Cargo Ship- (LMSR) Medium-speed Roll-on/Roll-off ship:
  • Laid down, 24 August 1999, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA.
  • Launched, 28 July 2000
  • Delivered to the US Navy, 2 March 2001
  • Assigned to the Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)
  • USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) is one of the Navy's 19 LMSRs, and is assigned to Afloat Prepositioning Ship Squadron Four
    Specifications:
    Displacement 29,000 t.(lt) 62,644 t.(fl)
    Length 951'4"
    Beam 106'
    Draft 34' (max)
    Speed 24 kts.
    Cargo Capacity 292,000 sq. ft.
    Complement
    Civilian Mariners 26 up to 45
    US Navy Personnel 50
    Armament none
    Propulsion
    two GE Marine LM gas turbines; 64,000 hp (7.7 MW)
    two shafts, cp props
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Watkins
    0954031506    		 153k Watkins (T-AKR-315) glides down the slipway into San Diego Bay from National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) Shipyard in San Diego, CA., 28 July 2000.
    US Navy photo from piryl,com - US National Archives    		 John Spivey
    Watkins 93k USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) underway, date and location unknown/
    US Navy photo    		 MSC
    Watkins 68k USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) underway, date and location unknown. Photo by Peter Westdijk
    Watkins 68k USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) underway, date and location unknown. Photo by Peter Westdijk
    Seay 281k Five large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships, or LMSRs (left to right) moored in their lay berths at Newport News, VA., 2002. From left to right:
    USNS Seay (T-AKR-302),
    USNS Mendonca (T-AKR-303),
    USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315),
    USNS Gordon (T-AKR-296) and
    USNS Gilliland (T-AKR-298).
    Photo by Nobe Smith. MSC.    		 Robert Hurst
    Watkins 68k USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) departing Antwerp, Belgium, August 2004. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Watkins 284k USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) transfers cargo to the MSC-chartered ship MV Mighty Servant I from which cargo is then loaded onto hovercraft for delivery to shore during a demonstration of the concept of sea basing. Sea bases will allow the military to deploy U.S. forces and their cargo from the sea instead of pierside.
    MSC photo.    		 Bill Gonyo
    USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Medal of Honor Citation for MSGT Travis E. Watkins United States Army,
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Defense Video Imagery Distribution System - USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)
    Navy Fact File - Large, Medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off Ships - T-AKR
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Vehicle Cargo Ship / Roll-on/Roll-off Ship (AKR) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 June 2024