USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196) is a Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler of the United States Navy in non-commissioned service in the Military Sealift Command. USNS Kanawha, the tenth Henry J. Kaiser-class ship, was laid down by the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 13 July 1989. She was launched on 22 September 1990 and delivered to the U.S. Navy and placed in non-commissioned service with the Military Sealift Command on 6 December 1991. Kanawha is in active service with the Military Sealift Command Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force and is assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Design

The Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers were preceded by the shorter Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oilers. Kanawha has an overall length of 206.5 m. It has a beam of 29.7 m and a draft of 11 m. The oiler has a displacement of 41353 t at full load. It has a capacity of 180000 oilbbl of aviation fuel or fuel oil. It can carry a dry load of 690 m2 and can refrigerate 128 pallets of food. The ship is powered by two 10 PC4.2 V 570 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines that drive two shafts; this gives a power of 25.6 MW. The Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers have maximum speeds of 20 kn. They were built without armaments but can be fitted with close-in weapon systems. The ship has a helicopter platform but not any maintenance facilities. It is fitted with five fuelling stations; these can fill two ships at the same time and the ship is capable of pumping 900000 USgal of diesel or 540000 USgal of jet fuel per hour. It has a complement of eighty-nine civilians (nineteen officers), twenty-nine spare crew, and six United States Navy crew.

Collision

On November 18, 2010, USNS Kanawha "briefly came into contact" with HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337) of the Royal Canadian Navy during a replenishment-at-sea manoeuvre off the coast of Florida. There were no injuries, but both ships suffered "superficial" damage consisting of scrapes and dents on both hulls.