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The fast combat support ship (AOE) is the United States Navy's largest combat logistics ship, designed as oiler, ammunition and supply ship. The AOE has the speed and armament to keep up with the carrier battle groups. It rapidly replenishes Navy task forces and can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil (28,000 m³), 2,150 tons of ammunition, 500 tons of dry stores and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. It receives petroleum products, ammunition and stores from shuttle ships and redistributes these items simultaneously to carrier battle group ships. This reduces the vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing alongside time.
Congress appropriated the funds for the lead ship of the AOE 6 (Supply class) in 1987, which is currently the only ship class in this category. The AOE 1 (Sacramento) class was retired in late 2005, making the Supply class the only ship class currently in this ship classification.
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General characteristics, Supply class
Displacement: 48,800 tons full load
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h)
Crew: 40 officers, 627 enlisted
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems, two 25 mm automatic cannon, 4 12.7x99 mm M2 heavy machine guns or 4 M240G 7.62x51 mm medium machine guns. The missiles, Phalanx units and 25 mm cannons have been deleted as part of the ships' conversion to civilian operation, though in theory all but the missile mounting could be reinstalled if needed. Due to the basic inadequacy of the Vulcan Phalanx, it is more likely that RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles would be installed in their place were the ships to be re-militarized.
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General characteristics, Sacramento Class
Unit Cost: $458-568 million
Power Plant: Four boilers, geared turbines, two shafts, 100,000 shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Displacement: 53,000 tons full load
Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h)
Crew: 24 officers, 576 enlisted
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx close-in weapons systems, two 25 mm automatic cannon, 4 12.7x99 mm M2 heavy machine guns or 4 M240G 7.62x51 mm medium machine guns. The missiles, Phalanx units and 25 mm cannons have been deleted as part of the ships' conversion to civilian operation, though in theory all but the missile mounting could be reinstalled if needed (if the ships were to be recommissioned).
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