Navy Orders Two More John Lewis-Class Fleet Oilers
The U.S. Navy has awarded shipbuilding giant General Dynamics a $1.7 billion contract for the construction of two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers, expanding the service’s underway replenishment capacity amid ongoing efforts to modernize and sustain forward-deployed naval operations. The announcement, first reported by Breaking Defense in the article “Navy Awards General Dynamics $1.7B Contract For Two More Fleet Oilers,” signals continued investment in the Navy’s logistical backbone at a time of growing global maritime competition.
The contract will see General Dynamics NASSCO, the shipbuilder’s San Diego-based division, build the seventh and eighth vessels in the Navy’s T-AO 205 class. These oilers are designed to refuel Navy ships at sea and carry dry cargo, extending the fleet’s operational reach and endurance. The 742-foot ships are capable of transferring up to 156,000 barrels of oil and feature systems designed to support modern surface combatants, including the Zumwalt- and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Naval officials have described the John Lewis-class oilers as a central element of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force, which provides continuous sustainment to deployed naval forces. “The award of these two ships reflects the Navy’s commitment to modernizing its fleet logistics capabilities,” said a Navy spokesperson, noting how the oilers contribute directly to force posture and operational readiness in contested environments.
The T-AO 205 class, named after the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis, was introduced as a replacement for the aging Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers. The Navy ultimately plans to acquire 20 such ships. Beyond supporting traditional fuel resupply, the John Lewis-class has been designed with space and weight allowances for potential future upgrades, including autonomous technologies and improved survivability measures.
Construction of the first six ships is already underway at NASSCO, with the lead ship, USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), delivered in mid-2023. The latest contract brings the total value of John Lewis-class work committed to NASSCO to over $6 billion. This level of investment underscores the Navy’s emphasis on distributed maritime operations, in which agile and self-sustainment-capable strike groups require a robust logistics network to operate effectively across vast ocean regions.
As tensions grow in key theaters such as the Indo-Pacific and the eastern Mediterranean, long-range sustainment capabilities offered by fleet oilers are seen as increasingly vital. The awarding of these new ships comes amid a broader push by the Navy to bolster its auxiliary fleets even as debates over force size and composition continue in Congress.
General Dynamics executives welcomed the announcement, citing it as evidence of their longstanding partnership with the Navy and their workforce’s expertise in building complex auxiliary vessels to exacting military standards. Delivery timelines for the new ships have not yet been disclosed, but the Navy indicated it aims to maintain a steady production pace to meet target fleet expansion goals.
With geopolitical uncertainties placing renewed emphasis on maritime logistics and sustainment, the expansion of the John Lewis-class fleet oilers offers a glimpse into how the Navy is preparing for future high-end conflict scenarios that will demand greater mobility, endurance, and logistical reach.
