Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4)

/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Sierra - Kilo
 NFSK
Lewis and Clark Class Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 July 2006, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA.
  • Launched, 15 May 2007
  • Delivered to the US Navy, 8 November 2007
  • Placed in service, 14 November 2007, by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4)
    Specifications:
    Displacement 35,400 long tons (fl.)
    Length 689 feet
    Beam 106 feet
    Draft 29.5 feet
    Complement
    124 CivMar
    36 Military + 13 for helicopter detachment
    Armament
    Cargo Capacities
    Max Dry Cargo Weight 5,910 long tons
    Max Dry Cargo Volume 783,000 square feet
    Max Cargo Fuel Weight 2,350 long tons)
    Cargo Fuel Volume 18,000 barrels (DFM: 10,500) (JP5:7,500)
    Propulsion
    Main machinery - Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6KV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster.
    Speed 20 knots
    Range 14,000 nautical miles at 20 knots
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Richard E. Byrd 606k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4), foreground, USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3), background, on the builders way at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), San Diego, CA., date unknown.
    NASSCO photo    		 Mary Montgomery, General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, California.
    Richard E. Byrd 103k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) launching at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA., 15 May 2007.
    US Navy photo # 070515-N-3642E-289 SAN DIEGO (May 15, 2007) by MCC Shawn P. Eklund.    		 US Navy Newsstand
    Richard E. Byrd 99k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) launching at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA., 15 May 2007.
    US Navy photo # 070515-N-3642E-304 SAN DIEGO (May 15, 2007) by MCC Shawn P. Eklund.    		 US Navy Newsstand
    Richard E. Byrd 1933k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) moored pierside, Naval Station San Diego in 2008. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Richard E. Byrd 1413k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the Military Sealift Command collections.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Richard E. Byrd 351k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) underway in WestPac while relieving USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3), date unknown.
    US Navy photo from the Military Sealift Command collections.    		 TJ Tropia
    Richard E. Byrd 2073k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) makes her approach alongside the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) for an underway replenishment, 19 October 2008. Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for CTF 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander.
    US Navy photo # 081019-N-0120A-106 SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 19, 2008) by MC2 Mark R. Alvarez.    		 TJ Tropia
    Richard E. Byrd 1853k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) moors at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
    US Navy photo # 090521-N-2013O-042 YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 21, 2009) by MCSN Charles Oki.    		 Lee Wahler
    Richard E. Byrd 458k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) sits pier side during Pacific Partnership 2009. The U.S. Navy's Pacific Partnership is the dedicated humanitarian and civil assistance mission conducted by, with and through partner nations, non-governmental organizations and other U.S. and international government agencies to execute a variety of humanitarian civic action missions in the Pacific Fleet area of responsibility. This year Pacific Partnership will travel to Oceania, including Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga. The Richard E. Byrd serves as the enabling platform for U.S. and partner nation military and non-governmental organizations to coordinate humanitarian civic assistance efforts.
    US Navy photo # 090703-N-9689V-001 UPOLU, Samoa (July 3, 2009) by MCSN Charles Oki.    		 Lee Wahler
    Richard E. Byrd 242k USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) center, and the Royal Australian Navy heavy landing craft HMAS Betano (L-133) and HMAS Wewak (L-130) transit from Malaita to Guadalcanal while underway in the Solomon Islands during Pacific Partnership 2009.
    US Navy photo # 090814-N-9689V-008 MALAITA, Solomon Islands (Aug. 14, 2009) by MC2 Joshua Valcarcel.    		 Lee Wahler
    Walter S Diehl 975k USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO-193) conducts a replenishment at sea with USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) and USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4).
    US Navy photo # 091023-N-5716H-557 PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 23, 2009) by MC2 Josh Huebner.    		 Lee Wahler
    There is no DANFS history available for USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4) at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4)
    Navy Fact File - Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ships - T-AKE
    General Dynamics - NASSCO - Louis and Clark (T-AKE-1) Class Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship Fact Sheet
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship (AKE) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 8 January 2010