USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr.
| File:US Navy 050205-N-0295M-016 The U.S. Army logistic support vessel General Frank S. Besson Jr. (LSV 1) drops its bow ramp on a beach on board Naval Amphibious Base (NAS) Little Creek, Va., during a training evolution.jpg USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. on 5 February 2005 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| File:Flag of the United States.svgUnited States | |
| Name | General Frank S. Besson Jr. |
| Namesake | Frank S. Besson Jr. |
| Operator |  United States Army |
| Builder | VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula |
| Acquired | 19 September 1987 |
| Commissioned | 1988 |
| Homeport | Fort Eustis |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | General Frank S. Besson class roll-on/roll-off |
| Displacement | 4,199 long tons (4,266 t) |
| Length | 273 ft (83 m) |
| Beam | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × EMD 16-645E2; 1,950 hp (1,454 kW) each at 999 rpm |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Complement | 8 officers, 23 enlisted |
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USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. (LSV-1) is the lead ship of the General Frank S. Besson Jr.-class roll-on/roll-off of US Army.
Design
[edit | edit source]Named in honor of Gen. Frank S. Besson Jr., former Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army, these ships have bow and stern ramps and the ability to beach themselves, giving them the ability to discharge 900 short tons of vehicles and cargo over the shore in as little as four feet of water, or 2,000 short tons as an intra-theater line haul roll-on/roll-off cargo ship.[1] The vessel's cargo deck is designed to handle any vehicle in the US Army inventory and can carry up to 15 M1 Abrams main battle tanks or 82 ISO standard containers.[2]
Construction and career
[edit | edit source]She was acquired by the US Army on 19 September 1987 and commissioned in 1988 into the 335th Transportation Detachment, 7th Expeditionary Transportation Brigade. She is homeported in Fort Eustis.[3]
In 1988 she was christened by Frances Rogers “Betty” Wheeler, Besson’s third wife. [4]
She was deployed in 2024 to take part in the Gaza Maritime Corridor. [5]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. and USCGC Dallas in Guantanamo Bay on 8 March 2010
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USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. on 29 May 2010
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_participates_in_Joint_Logistics_Over-The-Shore_(JLOTS)_operations.jpg){kind=link}
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Naval Technology – Frank S. Besson Class – LSV Logistics Support Vessel [1]
- ^ The United States Army News | New Army Vessel Arrives in Hawaii
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Photo gallery of USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. at NavSource Naval History
- Frank S Besson Class LSV Logistic Support Vessel
- LSVs at globalsecurity.org
- Photo gallery: Family tour aboard the LSV-7 Kuroda | The Honolulu Advertiser
- LSV-8 USAV MG Roberts Smalls – a set on Flickr
- Army Commissions Vessel Named after African-American Civil War Hero, S.C. Statesman
- Robert Smalls Official Website