The John Lewis class is a class of fleet replenishment oilers which began construction in September 2018. The class, named for its lead ship, which was named for the civil rights movement leader and congressman John Lewis, will comprise twenty oilers ships which will be operated by Military Sealift Command to provide underway replenishment of fuel and limited amounts of dry cargo to United States Navy carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and other surface forces, to allow them to operate worldwide.

Design

The John Lewis-class ships are double-hulled and constructed to commercial standards and OPNAVINST 9070.1 requirements. They are classed to American Bureau of Shipping steel vessel rules. The ships have capabilities similar to the s and rely on existing technology. The ships can carry 156,000 barrels of oil and have increased dry cargo storage over the Henry J. Kaiser class.

There are stations on both sides of each ship for underway replenishment of fuel and stores, and will have two dry cargo transfer rigs. The John Lewis-class ships have self-defenses against mines and torpedoes, and are equipped with crew-served weapons which are operated by embarked Navy Expeditionary Security Teams for limited self-defense ability against small boat attack.

The ships have space, weight, and power reserved for additional self-defense systems, including close-in weapon systems (CIWS) or SeaRAM, and an anti-torpedo torpedo defense system. Even with additional self-defense systems installed the ships will still require escort if operating in a higher threat environment.

History In June 2016, General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) was awarded a design and construction contract for six John Lewis-class replenishment oilers. NASSCO began construction on John Lewis in September 2018, and began construction on Harvey Milk in September 2020. In January 2020 the lead ship delivery estimate was delayed from November 2020 until June 2021, due to delays in delivery of gear and flooding of a graving dock. In September of 2024, General Dynamics was awarded a contract for eight additional John Lewis-class ships, to be delivered by January of 2035.

Naming The class is named for its lead ship, John Lewis, which is named for American civil rights movement leader and politician John Lewis. The remaining John Lewis-class oilers will be named after prominent civil rights leaders and activists. In 2025, the former Harvey Milk was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Oscar V. Peterson. According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the action was to help the Navy align with the priorities of President Trump and to, "reestablish the warrior culture." The Navy clarified that no other ships in the class would be renamed.

Ships Ship Hull. No. Namesake Laid down Launched Status Refs John Lewis - Civil rights movement leader and Congressman 13 May 2019 12 January 2021 Active, in service 27 July 2022 (ex-Harvey Milk) Oscar V. Peterson - Medal of Honor recipient (ex Harvey Milk - City Supervisor, Medal of Freedom recipient) 3 September 2020 6 November 2021 Active, in service 11 July 2023, renamed in June 2025 from Harvey Milk to Oscar V. Peterson Earl Warren - Supreme Court Chief Justice 30 April 2022 28 October 2022 Active, in service 7 May 2024 Robert F. Kennedy - Attorney General 5 December 202229 October 2023 Active, in service 10 December 2024 Lucy Stone - Woman's rights advocate8 August 202321 September 2024 Active, in service 16 December 2025 Sojourner Truth - Woman's rights advocate21 June 202426 April 2025 Active, in service 9 June 2026 Thurgood Marshall - Supreme Court Justice5 December 202418 April 2026 Under construction Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Supreme Court Justice13 February 2026 Under construction Harriet Tubman - Civil War-era abolitionist18 June 2026 Under construction Dolores Huerta - American labor leader and civil rights activist Under construction Joshua L. Goldberg - First rabbi to volunteer for naval service Under construction Thomas D. Parham - first African American sailor promoted to Captain On order through T-AO-221 On order

References

External links