SAN DIEGO (BNS): US Navy has awarded General Dynamics NASSCO, the wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics an $824.6 million contract.

According to a news release by General Dynamics NASSCO, the contract was awarded for the construction of two T-AKE dry cargo/ammunition ships.

The contract provides full funding to NASSCO for the construction of T-AKE 13, the future USNS Medgar Evers, and T-AKE 14, the unnamed final ship of the Lewis and Clark class.

The dry cargo/ammunition ships are operated by US Navy’s Military Sealift Command and provide multi-product combat logistics support to the Navy fleet.

As the Navy’s newest Combat Logistics Force (CLF) underway replenishment ships, the T-AKEs will replace the current capability of the Kilauea-class (T-AE 26) ammunition ships; Mars-class (T-AFS 1) combat stores ships; and, when operating in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187) fleet replenishment oiler, the Sacramento-class (AOE 1) fast combat support ships, as per a report by the US Navy.

The primary goal of the T-AKE programme is to provide effective fleet underway replenishment capability at the lowest life cycle cost. T-AKEs also provide logistic lift to deliver cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea.