The 31 maritime prepositioning ships (MPS) are part of the United States Military Sealift Command's (MSC) Prepositioning Program. They are strategically positioned around the globe to support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency. Most are named after Medal of Honor recipients from the service they support. The MPS ships are assigned to three maritime prepositioning ship squadrons located in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean at Diego Garcia and the Western Pacific Ocean at Guam and Saipan. The MPS ships in each squadron have sufficient equipment, supplies and ammunition to support a Marine Air-Ground Task Force for 30 days. The MPS ships are self-sustaining, with cranes to unload at sea or pierside.

MSC chartered the first two ship classes in the MPS role (the ''Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr.'' and ''Sergeant Matej Kocak'' classes) from civilian shipping lines and converted them. Later ships were purpose-built.

Ships[link]

''Sergeant Matej Kocak'' Class[link]

The ''Sergeant Matej Kocak'' Class, the second class of MPS ships chartered by MSC, also gained 157 feet (48 m) amidships and a helicopter deck after conversion. These ships, delivered to MSC in the mid-1980s, built at Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania and converted at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego. They were previously owned by Waterman Steamship Corporation but recently sold to MSC and now operated by Keystone Shipping Co.

Builder: Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, PA; General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, MA

Converted: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA

Power Plant: 2 boilers; 2 GE turbines; 30,000 hp (22 MW); 1 shaft

Length: 821 feet (250.2 m)

Beam: 105.6 feet (32.2 m)

Displacement: 48,754 tons (49,536 metric tons) full load

Cargo capacity: Containers, 532; ro-ro, 152,236 ft² (14,143 m²); JP-5 barrels, 20,290; DF-2 barrels, 12,355; Mogas barrels, 3,717; stable water, 2,189; cranes, 2 twin 50 ton and 1-30 ton gantry

Helicopters: platform only

Speed: 20 knots

Ships:

(formerly SS ''Sgt. Matej Kocak'', SS ''John B. Waterman'')

(formerly SS ''PFC Eugene A. Obregon'', SS ''Thomas Heywood'')

(formerly SS ''Maj. Stephen W. Pless'', SS ''Charles Carroll'')

Crew: 34 civilians, 10 technicians

''2nd Lieutenant John P. Bobo'' Class[link]

The ''2nd Lieutenant John P. Bobo'' Class ships are new construction ships delivered to MSC in the mid-1980s from General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, Mass. They were owned by American Overseas Marine (AMSEA) but have been recently sold to MSC and are now operated by Maersk Line, Limited.

Builders: General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, MA

Power Plant: 2 Stork-Werkspoor 16TM410 diesels; 27,000 hp (20 MW) sustained; 1 Omnithruster JT1000 bow thruster 1,000 hp (750 kW)

Length: 675.2 feet (205.8 m)

Beam: 105.5 feet (32.2 m)

Displacement: 44,330 tons (45,041 metric tons) full load

Cargo capacity: Containers, 530; ro-ro, 152,185 ft² (14,138 m²); JP-5 barrels, 20,776; DF-2 barrels, 13,334; Mogas barrels, 4,880; stable water, 2,357; cranes, 1 single and 2 twin 39 ton

Helicopters: platform only

Speed: 18 knots

Ships:

(formerly MV ''2nd Lt. John P. Bobo'')

(formerly MV ''PFC Dewayne T. Williams'')

(formerly MV ''1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez'')

(formerly MV ''1st Lt. Jack Lummus'')

(formerly MV ''Sgt. William R. Button'')

Crew: 38 civilians, 10 technicians

''Capt Steven L. Bennett'' Class[link]

Length: Beam:

Draft: 38 feet, 1 inch

Displacement: 52,878 long tons

Speed: 18.3 knots

Civilian: 24 contract mariners

''SSG Edward A. Carter, Jr.'' Class[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 74,500 long tons

Speed: 18 knots

Civilian: 22 contract mariners

''Buffalo Soldier'' Class[link]

Length: Beam: Draft: , six inches

Displacement: 26,378 long tons

Speed: 16 knots

Civilian: 21 contract mariners

''Maj. Bernard F. Fisher'' Class[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 48,000 long tons

Speed: 19.0 knots

Civilian: 24 contract mariners

''1st Lt. Harry L. Martin'' Class[link]

Length:

Beam: 105 feet, 10 inches

Draft: 35 feet, 11 inches

Displacement: 51,531 long tons

Speed: 17 knots

Civilian: 25 contract mariners

''LCPL Roy M. Wheat'' Class[link]

Length: 863 feet 2 inches

Beam: 98 feet 5 inches

Draft:

Displacement: 50,570 long tons

Speed: 20.5 knots

Civilian: 29 contract mariners

''LTC John U. D. Page'' Class[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 74,500 long tons

Speed: 18 knots

Civilian: 20 contract mariners

High Speed Vessels[link]

''HSV 2'' Class[link]

Length: 331 feet 4 inches

Beam: 87 feet 5 inches

Draft:

Displacement: 1,463.6 short tons

Speed: 35 knots

Civilian: 17 contract mariners

Military: as required by mission

*HSV-2 ''Swift''

''Westpac Express'' Class[link]

Length: Beam: Draft: Displacement: NOTE: of cargo capacity, designed for roll-on/roll-off

Speed: 33 knots

Civilian: 14 contract mariners

Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships[link]

''Watson'' Class[link]

The Watson Class are a class of LMSR built at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 62,644 long tons

Power Plant: 2 GE Marine LM 2500 gas turbines; 64,000 hp (7.7 MW); 2 shafts, cp props

Speed: 24.0 knots

Civilian: 30 contract mariners

Military: 5

Tankers[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 39,624 long tons

Speed: 16.0 knots

Civilian: 24 contract mariners

Offshore Petroleum Distribution System[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement:

Speed: 15 knots

Civilian: 26 contract mariners

Activated Ready Reserve Fleet Ships[link]

The following are part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet but have been activated and are pre-positioned.

Modular Cargo Delivery System Ship[link]

Length: Beam: Draft:

Displacement: 22,929 long tons

Speed: 17.0 knots

Civilian: 38 contract mariners

''Wright'' Class[link]

Dedicated to USMC aviation logistics support. Length:

Beam: 90 feet, 2 inches

Draft: 32 feet, 10 inches

Displacement: 23,800 long tons

Speed: 19 knots

Civilian: 41 contract mariners

Former Ships[link]

''Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr.'' class[link]

The ''Corporal Louis J. Hauge, Jr.'' Class is the original class of MPS ships chartered by Military Sealift Command. The five ships are Maersk Line ships converted by Bethlehem Steel. During conversion, the ships gained an additional 157 feet (48 m) amidships and a helicopter landing pad, among other things. They have since been returned to Maersk for commercial use and are no longer part of the MPS program.

Builder: Odense Staalskibsvaerft A/S, Lindo

Power Plant: 1 Sulzer 7RND76M diesel; 16,800 hp (13 MW); 1 shaft; bow thruster

Length: 755 feet (230 m)

Beam: 90 feet (27.4 m)

Displacement: 46,552 tons (47,299 t) full load

Speed: 17.5 knots (32 km/h)

Ships:

(formerly MV ''Estelle Maersk'')

(formerly MV ''Eleo Maersk'')

(formerly MV ''Emma Maersk'')

(formerly MV ''Emilie Maersk'')

(formerly ''Pvt. Harry Fisher'', MV ''Evelyn Maersk'')

Crew: 32 civilians, 10 technicians

See also[link]

Further reading[link]

'The Maritime Prepositioning Force and the U.S. Marines,' Asia-Pacific Defense Forum, Spring 1999

References[link]

Category:Ship types Category:United States Navy Category:Auxiliary ships of the United States Navy