USNS Sirius

USNS Sirius (T-AFS 8) was a Sirius-class combat stores ship of the United States Navy, named for Sirius (α Canis Majoris), the brightest star visible from Earth other than the Sun.

Sirius (T-AFS-8) en route to Norfolk, VA. after her AFS conversion, 1983.
History
Royal Fleet Auxiliary EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameRFA Lyness (A339)
NamesakeLyness, Scotland
BuilderSwan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson
Laid down1 April 1965
Launched1 April 1966
Commissioned22 December 1966
IdentificationIMO number: 6706888
FatePurchased by US, 1 January 1981
United States
NameUSNS Sirius (T-AFS-8)
NamesakeSirius
Acquired1 January 1981
In service18 January 1981
Out of service1 July 2005
Stricken1 July 2005
IdentificationIMO number: 6706888
FateScrapped 2014
Flag of Texas
NameTS Texas Clipper III
NamesakeTexas Clipper
Acquired2005
IdentificationIMO number: 6706888
General characteristics
Displacement
  • 16,680 t. (full load)
  • 10,205 t. (light)
Length523 ft (159 m) (overall)
Beam72 ft (22 m)
Draft26 ft (7.9 m)
Propulsion
  • one diesel engine,
  • 11,520 brake horsepower (8.6 MW),
  • single propeller
Speed18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement123 Civilian, 30-47 Navy (USN service)
Sensors and
processing systems
Raytheon SHF navigation radar
Armament8 pintle mounts, variable numbers of .50 BMG or 7.62×51mm machine guns (USN service)
Aircraft carriedTwo CH-46 Sea Knight, MH-60 Seahawk or Aerospatiale Super Puma helicopters (USN service)
RFA Lyness (A 339) in PASSEX with HMS Intrepid and Deutschland (A 59) in Bay of Biscay, June 1980

Sirius was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson for the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1965, she was launched in 1966 from Wallsend as RFA Lyness with the pennant A339 serving in the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

On 15 November 1980, the ship was acquired by charter by the United States Military Sealift Command. She was transferred to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command in 1981.

Sirius was deactivated and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 2005 and given to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), then assigned to Texas Maritime Academy under an agreement that it can be activated by MARAD at any time. During the fall of 2005, the Sirius served in New Orleans for Katrina relief, from 10 September until 29 November and at Lake Charles, LA for Rita relief until 2 March. Because of its extended relief effort the Sirius was unable to undergo a refit in 2006 to adapt its new role as a training vessel and comply with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards. Because the Sirius had not undergone a refit, it could not be formally commissioned as the USTS Texas Clipper III nor could it be used for summer training cruises. In the winter of 2009 the US Coast Guard ruled that the Sirius was unfit for training and was prepared for decommissioning while the school looked for a new training ship. On 25 June 2009, the Sirius was returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration.[1]

Sirius was scrapped at Brownsville on 30 May 2014.[2]

Honors and awards

The USNS Sirius is authorized the following awards:[3]

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Silver star
Bronze star

Citations

  1. Sirius Returned to Maritime Admin Archived 5 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Lyness (6706888)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  3. "U.S. Navy Awards Website"

References


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