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USNS Apache (T-ATF-172)
Encyclopedia
USNS Apache (T-ATF-172), fifth United States Navy
ship of the name, is the last of the Powhatan class
of fleet ocean tugs. Apache was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1981. She is operated by Military Sealift Command
and crewed by 16 civil service mariners (CIVMARS) with a complement of up to 4 Navy enlisted personnel to operate communications equipment. She is designed to provide the Navy with towing service, and when augmented by Navy divers, assist in the recovery of downed aircraft and ships. There are quarters onboard for up to 25 additional personnel.
and diving work, as participants in naval exercises, to conduct search and rescue missions, to aid in the clean up of oil spills and ocean accidents, and to provide fire fighting assistance.
and a bollard
pull of at least 87 tons. A deck grid is fitted aft which contains 1 inches (25.4 mm) bolt receptacles spaced 24 inches (609.6 mm) apart. This allows for the bolting down of a wide variety of portable equipment. The large back deck is also painted for helicopter operations to allow for vertical replenishment at sea. There are two GPH diesel off-ship fire pumps supplying three fire monitors with up to 2,200 gallons of foam per minute. A deep module can be embarked to support naval salvage teams.
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Apache has twin GM EMD 20-645F7B diesel engine
s providing a total of 7,200 shaft horsepower capable of hauling large tows at speeds up to and exceeding 8 knots (15.7 km/h), and light boat at 14.5 knots (28.4 km/h). The shafts are connected to controllable pitch propeller
s (CPP). The engines can be operated from one of three stations on the bridge, at the engine operating station, and from an aft control station looking astern. Usually controlled from the bridge by deck officers, they allow control of the engines' RPMs and propeller pitch independently. Together with twin rudders and a 300 hp bow thruster
, the ship is highly maneuverable at slow speeds with extremely quick engine response.
es for towing operations. The main towing winch for large, long distance tows is a single drum, closed-loop SMATCO electro-hydraulic drive winch, with a mechanically, pneumatically, or hydraulically actuated band brake and an air-actuated dog brake which are capable of holding 500,000 lbf
of tension. The winch has 2500 feet (762 m) of 2¼ inch IWRC 6×37 wire rope
with a poured end fitting and a breaking strain of 424,000 lbf (1.89 MN). The cable weighs approximately 8.5 lb per foot (12.6 kg/m), making the weight of the wire approximately 21,500 lb (10.75 short ton
s) excluding the weight of any chain bridle used on the vessel being towed.
The second winch is a traction machine capable of handling up to 15 inches (381 mm) synthetic hawser
s used for smaller, shorter distance tows. The traction machine is capable of line pulls of up to 200000 lbf (889.6 kN).
The stern employs a tow-pin box capable of capturing either the wire or synthetic towing lines, as well as Norman pins at the quarters.
USS Iowa (BB-61)
from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
at Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
to Westwego
, Louisiana
, where Iowa began modernization work preparatory to her return to active service.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ship of the name, is the last of the Powhatan class
Powhatan class fleet ocean tug
The Powhatan class of fleet ocean tugs consists of seven ships built for the United States Navy and now operated by the Military Sealift Command by primarily civilian crews with the USNS designation....
of fleet ocean tugs. Apache was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1981. She is operated by Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
and crewed by 16 civil service mariners (CIVMARS) with a complement of up to 4 Navy enlisted personnel to operate communications equipment. She is designed to provide the Navy with towing service, and when augmented by Navy divers, assist in the recovery of downed aircraft and ships. There are quarters onboard for up to 25 additional personnel.
Background
Fleet ocean tugs are used to tow ships, barges and targets for gunnery exercises. They are also used as platforms for salvageMarine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
and diving work, as participants in naval exercises, to conduct search and rescue missions, to aid in the clean up of oil spills and ocean accidents, and to provide fire fighting assistance.
Features
Apache is equipped with a 10 ton capacity craneCrane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
and a bollard
Bollard
A bollard is a short vertical post. Originally it meant a post used on a ship or a quay, principally for mooring. The word now also describes a variety of structures to control or direct road traffic, such as posts arranged in a line to obstruct the passage of motor vehicles...
pull of at least 87 tons. A deck grid is fitted aft which contains 1 inches (25.4 mm) bolt receptacles spaced 24 inches (609.6 mm) apart. This allows for the bolting down of a wide variety of portable equipment. The large back deck is also painted for helicopter operations to allow for vertical replenishment at sea. There are two GPH diesel off-ship fire pumps supplying three fire monitors with up to 2,200 gallons of foam per minute. A deep module can be embarked to support naval salvage teams.
Propulsion
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s providing a total of 7,200 shaft horsepower capable of hauling large tows at speeds up to and exceeding 8 knots (15.7 km/h), and light boat at 14.5 knots (28.4 km/h). The shafts are connected to controllable pitch propeller
Controllable pitch propeller
A controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...
s (CPP). The engines can be operated from one of three stations on the bridge, at the engine operating station, and from an aft control station looking astern. Usually controlled from the bridge by deck officers, they allow control of the engines' RPMs and propeller pitch independently. Together with twin rudders and a 300 hp bow thruster
Bow thruster
A bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat to make it more maneuverable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow the captain to turn the vessel to port or starboard without using the main propulsion mechanism which requires...
, the ship is highly maneuverable at slow speeds with extremely quick engine response.
Towing equipment
The vessel can employ one of two winchWinch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
es for towing operations. The main towing winch for large, long distance tows is a single drum, closed-loop SMATCO electro-hydraulic drive winch, with a mechanically, pneumatically, or hydraulically actuated band brake and an air-actuated dog brake which are capable of holding 500,000 lbf
Pound-force
The pound force is a unit of force in some systems of measurement including English engineering units and British gravitational units.- Definitions :...
of tension. The winch has 2500 feet (762 m) of 2¼ inch IWRC 6×37 wire rope
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
with a poured end fitting and a breaking strain of 424,000 lbf (1.89 MN). The cable weighs approximately 8.5 lb per foot (12.6 kg/m), making the weight of the wire approximately 21,500 lb (10.75 short ton
Short ton
The short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...
s) excluding the weight of any chain bridle used on the vessel being towed.
The second winch is a traction machine capable of handling up to 15 inches (381 mm) synthetic hawser
Hawser
Hawser is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the hawse....
s used for smaller, shorter distance tows. The traction machine is capable of line pulls of up to 200000 lbf (889.6 kN).
The stern employs a tow-pin box capable of capturing either the wire or synthetic towing lines, as well as Norman pins at the quarters.
Service history
Apache began service with the Military Sealift Command in 1981 in the Atlantic. Among her early assignments was a mission in September 1982 towing the battleshipBattleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state...
from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
to Westwego
Westwego, Louisiana
Westwego is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River.-Geography:...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, where Iowa began modernization work preparatory to her return to active service.
- [1982-present]