USS Spica (T-AFS 9) Combat Stores Ship

The three Sirus class ships formerly were Royal Navy replenishment ships [ex-British Lyness Class], acquired by the Navy because of the increased logistics demands necessitated by maintaining two carrier battle groups in the Indian Ocean during the Iranian hostage crisis. Built in England in 1965 and 1966, they were extensively modernized with improved communications and underway-replacement facilities. USNS Sirius (T-AFS 8) was transferred from the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary to MSC on Jan. 18, 1981; USNS Spica (T-AFS 9) on Nov. 5, 1981; and USNS Saturn (T-AFS 10) on Dec. 13, 1983. They are part of the Navy Combat Logistics Force, and conduct underway and vertical replenishment in support of operating forces by simultaneously providing refrigerated stores, dry provisions, technical and aviation spares, general stores, fleet freight, mail, personnel and other items from five stations and utilizing two H-46 helicopters assigned per ship.

These ships conduct underway replenishment in support of operating forces by simultaneously providing refrigerated stores, dry provisions, technical (including aviation) spares, general stores, fleet freight, mail, personnel and other items from five stations (two starboard and three port) for periods normally not to exceed thirty-two hours per week. UNREP hours are considered to commence with “first line over” and terminate with “last line clear” . They conduct vertical replenishment in support of operating forces by providing refrigerated stores, dry provisions, technical (including aviation) spares, general stores, fleet freight, personnel, mail and other items with helicopters from other units or temporarily assigned for periods normally not to exceed 32 hours per week. This includes the time from the setting of flight quarters to securing from flight quarters.

Picture