USNS Patuxent – Courtesy: Military Sealift Command
NORFOLK, Va. – The USNS Patuxent deployed to U.S. Naval Forces Central/U.S. 5th Fleet on Wednesday.
The USNS Patuxent is the Navy’s 12th ship of the Henry J. Kaiser Class underway replenishment oilers.
It returned from deployment in May.
“The USNS Patuxent is scheduled to support military efforts in the U.S. Naval Forces Central and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa’s areas of operations by providing underway replenishment support,” a Navy spokesperson said. “Underway replenishments are a critical naval capability which allows U.S. Navy and allied ships to be resupplied with fuel, food, and stores without pulling into a port. This capability allows naval warships to stay on station longer and continue with their mission uninterrupted.”
USNS Patuxent was delivered to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command in June 1995. It’s the first of three ships in the class of 15 to be built with a double hull to comply with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
