SAN DIEGO, May 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics
NASSCO today launched the U.S. Navy's newest resupply ship, USNS
Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14). The
ship is named in honor of Cesar Estrada
Chavez, the labor leader who founded the National Farm
Workers Association (NFWA).
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120506/PH01418)
The Saturday evening ceremony took place at the NASSCO shipyard.
Juan M. Garcia III, assistant
secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, was the
ceremony's principal speaker. Mrs. Helen
Chavez, widow of Cesar Chavez
and the ship's sponsor, christened the ship by breaking the
traditional bottle of champagne against its bow.
"This celebration marks the culmination of a successful U.S.
shipbuilding program that has spanned nearly a decade," said
Fred Harris, President of General
Dynamics NASSCO. "The workmanship of the thousands of people who
labored to bring these 14 cargo ships to existence will live on for
years to come as these great ships traverse the world, replenishing
naval forces across the globe and serving as a critical component
of humanitarian aid missions."
USNS Cesar Chavez is the
final ship of a class of 14 T-AKE dry cargo-ammunition ships for
the Navy. NASSCO began constructing the 689-foot-long ship in
October 2010. The ship is scheduled
to be delivered to the Navy in fourth quarter 2012. The T-AKE class
incorporates international marine technologies and commercial
ship-design features, including an integrated electric-drive
propulsion system, to minimize operating costs over its projected
40-year service life. When the USNS Cesar Chavez joins the fleet, its primary
mission will be to deliver more than 10,000 tons of food,
ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at
sea.
For more information about General Dynamics NASSCO, a business
unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), please visit
www.nassco.com.
More information about General Dynamics is available online at
www.generaldynamics.com.
SOURCE General Dynamics NASSCO