Sixth John Lewis-class tanker christened in the US to support naval operations

The US Navy has christened the sixth John Lewis-class tanker ship, USNS Sojourner Truth, at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California.

Here's What We Know

The ship was named after Sojourner Truth, a famous American abolitionist and women's rights activist who escaped from slavery in the 19th century. Her sixth-generation descendant took part in the ceremony as a sponsor, traditionally breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow of the ship.

The ship's keel was laid in June 2024. Once commissioned, the USNS Sojourner Truth will operate under the command of the Military Sealift Command. Its main task is to continuously supply ships with fuel, food, equipment and personnel to maintain the US operational presence around the world.

MSC Pacific Commander Captain Mika Murphy stressed that without logistics vessels of this class, the fleet would not be able to maintain a high pace and mobility, and strike groups would be tied to shore bases.

The vessel is 227 metres long, 33 metres wide, has a top speed of 20 knots and a range of over 11,000 kilometres. It is equipped with short-range defence systems, .50-calibre machine guns, surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes, and can carry up to 120 crew members and a naval helicopter.

Source: X