VRep: U.S. Navy Supply Ship USNS WALLY SCHIRRA(T-AKE-8) Resupplying the Nuclear Carrier USS CARL VINSON(CVN-70)

gouache, 11" x 19"

$5,500

This painting depicts the U.S. Navy supply ship USNS WALLY SCHIRRA(T-AKE-8) in the process of resupplying the nuclear carrier USS CARL VINSON(CVN-70). In Navy lingo this process of resupplying is called “Vert Rep” or “VRep”, which stands for Vertical Replenishment. This means taking supplies to a ship by means of a helicopter. In the painting, the ‘helos’ are MHS-60 “Knighthawk” helicopters, both from the SCHIRRA. On SCHIRRA’s aft flight deck can be seen the various bundles that are to be transported to the carrier.

The WALLY SCHIRRA is the eighth ship of the LEWIS AND CLARK Class and is named for Walter “Wally” Schirra, one of the original ‘Mercury 7’ Astronauts. The ship is part of the Military Sealift Command’s Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. The SCHIRRA was launched and commissioned in March, 2009, and entered active service in September, 2009. The ship is crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 11 U.S. Navy sailors. The ship is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry two helicopters and additional military personnel to conduct vertical replenishment. The SCHIRRA is a dry cargo ammunition supply ship and when in the role of an underway replenishment vessel, the ship’s mission (like all the ships in the class) is to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water, and petroleum products to the various ships of a carrier battle group to which it’s assigned. These supply ships carry two helicopters for vert rep duties.

Though the SCHIRRA, and the other ships in her class, may not get the recognition or attention that the various combat ships receive, these supply ships are an integral and very necessary part of the battle group, allowing the battle group to stay at sea or on station for months at a time. Lastly, here’s an explanation for the various Navy acronyms mentioned above. In the designation T-AKE-8, the ‘T’, when used as a prefix, stands for a vessel in the Military Sea Transportation Service. The ‘AKE’ indicates that it is an underway replenishment/dry cargo ship. The ‘8’ simply means the 8th ship in her class. ‘USNS’ stands for United States Naval Ship. The ‘Knighthawk’ designation for the helicopters is an unofficial title for the MH-60 Seahawk helicopter and is used to honor the previous CH-46 Sea Knight ‘helos’ that were used for replenishment duties until replaced by the MH-60. The official designation is MHS-60 Seahawk for the ‘helos’ in use now. CVN-70 means it is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the 70th carrier constructed for the Navy.