USNS Watson

USNS Watson (T-AKR-310) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is the lead ship of her class of vehicle cargo ships.

Not to be confused with USS Watson (DD-482).
History
United States
NameUSNS Watson
NamesakeGeorge Watson (Medal of Honor) (1914–1943)
Ordered15 September 1993
BuilderNational Steel and Shipbuilding Company
Laid down23 May 1996
Launched26 July 1997
In service23 June 1998
Identification
Statusin service
General characteristics
Class and typeWatson-class vehicle cargo ship
Displacement29,000 tons
Length950 ft
Beam106 ft
Draft34 ft
PropulsionGas turbine

She was named for Private George Watson, a Medal of Honor recipient.

Laid down on 23 May 1996 and launched on 26 July 1997, Watson was put into service in the Pacific Ocean on 23 June 1998.[1]

Notable deployments
U.S. Naval Ship Watson at Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

In November 2022, Watson took onboard part of an Army Prepositioned Stock and then went to Hawaii, there delivering more than 500 pieces of equipment, vehicles and containers, in support of its Operation Pathways exercise to be held in Australia in 2023. Unloading was done by soldiers of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, 25th Infantry Division, 599th Transportation Brigade, and 402nd Army Field Support Brigade. It was the first time Watson had visited Hawaii. The equipment will be inspected to ensure they're not carrying any pollen, animals or other organisms or material that could threaten ecosystems in Australia, before moving there.[2]

References
  1. "MSC takes delivery of USNS Watson". Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  2. Army Moving Equipment Across Pacific for Training, Military.com, 2022-12-05

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

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