New USNS Sojourner Truth to fill US Navy gap for tanker ships to keep Carrier Strike Groups operational.

On April 21, 2025, General Dynamics NASSCO announced that it was preparing to christen the USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship in the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler program. The event is taking place in San Diego, California, following the vessel’s keel authentication on June 21, 2024, and the initial steel cutting on March 27, 2023. This christening marks the next stage in the construction process for a ship intended to serve in logistical support roles under the Military Sealift Command and address the Navy's current limited availability of replenishment assets.
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The USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship in the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet of replenishment oil tankers, is designed to transport up to 156,000 barrels of fuel. (Picture source: General Dynamics NASSCO)

The USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) is named after Sojourner Truth, an American abolitionist and women's rights advocate who was born into slavery in New York and became a prominent public speaker in the 19th century. The vessel is 746 feet in length, has a beam of 106.5 feet, a draft of 33.5 feet, and a full load displacement of approximately 49,850 tons. It is powered by two Fairbanks-Morse MAN 12V48/60CR diesel engines, providing 16,000 horsepower per shaft and enabling speeds up to 20 knots. The ship is designed to transport up to 156,000 barrels of fuel and has capacity for 55,662 cubic feet of dry cargo and 40,099 cubic feet of refrigerated or chilled goods. It includes five refueling stations, two dry cargo transfer rigs, and a flight deck for helicopter operations (vertical replenishment only). The ship’s defensive features include .50 caliber crew-served weapons, degaussing systems, and AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoys. It also has reserved space, weight, and power for the future installation of SeaRAM or Phalanx close-in weapon systems and an anti-torpedo torpedo defense system. The vessel will be operated by 99 civilian mariners and a Navy detachment, totaling a complement of 125 personnel.

The John Lewis-class is a series of double-hulled fleet replenishment oilers constructed to commercial standards and classified under the American Bureau of Shipping rules. It succeeds the Henry J. Kaiser-class and is intended to enhance refueling capacity and dry cargo transport in support of carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and other surface forces. The class began construction in 2018 under a 2016 contract awarded to General Dynamics NASSCO. These ships are designed for global operations and are equipped for fuel and cargo transfer at sea. Their operational use is managed by the Military Sealift Command. The design includes aviation support capabilities and space for modular self-defense systems.

As of 2025, the John Lewis-class includes nine ships under contract, with 20 planned in total. The ships are named after prominent American civil rights leaders. The USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) entered service in 2022. Other ships in the class include USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208), USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 211), and others under construction or on order. The class includes features such as increased dry cargo capacity, five refueling stations, double hulls for spill protection, and reinforced components to reduce environmental risk. The Navy accepted delivery of the USNS Earl Warren in May 2024 after integrated sea trials. These ships are intended to provide consistent logistical support to deployed naval forces and are not built for direct combat, although they include limited defensive measures and the possibility of further armament installation.

The commissioning and construction of John Lewis-class oilers occurs within the context of a broader issue regarding the U.S. Navy’s tanker capacity. Analyses, including one by Captain Stephen M. Carmel for the Center for International Maritime Security in January 2023, indicate that in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Pacific, the U.S. Department of Defense would require over 100 tankers of varying types. Currently, assured access exists for fewer than ten such vessels. This limitation introduces significant risks to operational sustainability, as even nuclear-powered carriers require aviation fuel, and the overall tempo of operations in conflict would lead to dramatically increased fuel demand. These concerns are compounded by the reliance on international commercial tanker fleets, many of which are indirectly controlled by Chinese financial institutions despite flying non-hostile flags. This creates uncertainties regarding availability in politically sensitive or wartime conditions.

In January 2023, an analysis indicated that in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Pacific, the U.S. Department of Defense would require over 100 tankers of varying types. (Picture source: General Dynamics NASSCO)

The U.S. Navy's current shortage of replenishment oilers significantly impacts the operational endurance of Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs), which depend on continuous at-sea refueling to maintain global presence and combat readiness. This vulnerability was highlighted when the USNS Big Horn, the sole oiler supporting the USS Abraham Lincoln CSG in the Middle East, ran aground in September 2024 off the coast of Oman, leaving the group without its primary fuel source and necessitating the search for a commercial tanker retrofit, a complex and time-consuming process ill-suited for high-tempo operations. Historically, fuel shortages have significantly impacted naval capabilities, as evidenced by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Japan's reliance on imported oil made it susceptible to Allied strategies targeting its supply lines. Allied submarine warfare and aerial mining campaigns severely curtailed Japan's ability to transport fuel, leading to critical shortages. By 1945, these constraints had immobilized much of the IJN's fleet, rendering it incapable of mounting effective operations. Notably, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, Japanese naval forces faced significant limitations due to insufficient fuel, affecting their strategic deployment and contributing to their eventual defeat.

The U.S. government has attempted to address these vulnerabilities through initiatives such as the Tanker Security Program (TSP), which provides financial incentives for shipowners to register tankers under the U.S. flag. The program currently covers ten vessels, but it has been criticized for failing to deliver additional capacity. Existing U.S.-flagged ships that already serve government charters are eligible for TSP, resulting in duplication rather than expansion of the fleet. Furthermore, the TSP lacks enforceable requirements for equipping vessels with CONSOL (connected replenishment) gear or maintaining crews trained in underway replenishment. These omissions raise doubts about the real readiness and utility of TSP-enrolled tankers in high-threat or high-demand wartime environments. The stipend amount is also considered too small to support consistent commercial viability in peacetime operations, making long-term participation uncertain.

Multiple proposals have been made to improve U.S. tanker readiness. These include increasing TSP stipends, restricting the use of TSP vessels to commercial markets except during emergencies, reinstating the Military Sealift Command’s prepositioned fuel tanker program, and mandating cargo preference for refined petroleum exports from the United States. The U.S. currently exports approximately 1.4 million barrels of refined product daily, nearly all via foreign-flagged tankers. A cargo preference law would allocate part of this volume to U.S.-flagged vessels, creating capacity without requiring continuous federal funding. Domestic sourcing of fuel for the Defense Logistics Agency Energy (DLA-E) has also been suggested, as the current model prioritizes lowest-cost suppliers regardless of ownership or political affiliation. Shifting to U.S.-sourced fuel would increase demand for domestic tanker transport and provide a reliable wartime supply chain. These recommendations aim to replace an “assumed access” model with an “assured access” strategy that prioritizes U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed ships.

The current situation has revealed that the U.S. lacks a coherent maritime strategy integrating naval and logistics capabilities. While China employs a unified national maritime approach encompassing military, commercial, and industrial dimensions, U.S. maritime policy remains fragmented and primarily focused on high-end combat platforms. Without sufficient investment in logistics infrastructure, including tankers and replenishment systems, even advanced platforms such as aircraft carriers and stealth aircraft will face operational limitations. The christening of the USNS Sojourner Truth highlights the continued progression of one element of the logistical fleet, but broader systemic gaps remain unresolved. Ensuring maritime logistics capability at the scale required for major conflict will depend on immediate reforms, multi-layered solutions, and a more integrated approach to maritime power.