USS Mars (AFS-1)

History
United States
Name	USS Mars
Namesake	The borough of Mars in Butler County, Pennsylvania
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California
Laid down	5 May 1962
Launched	15 June 1963
Commissioned	1 December 1963
Decommissioned	19 February 1998
Stricken	24 May 2004
Honors and awards	Navy Unit Commendation and 11 campaign stars (Vietnam)
Fate	Sunk as a target, 15 July 2006
General characteristics
Class and type	Mars-class combat stores ship
Displacement	9,200 long tons (9,300 t) (light) 15,900–18,663 long tons (16,155–18,962 t) (full load)
Length	581 ft (177 m)
Beam	79 ft (24 m)
Draft	27 ft (8.2 m)
Propulsion	1 × steam turbine 1 × shaft
Speed	20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Complement	486
Armament	4 × 3"/50 caliber guns (2x2) (originally 6) Chaff launchers 4 × M240G 7.62×51 mm or M249 5.56×45 mm general purpose machine guns 1 M2 12.7×99 mm heavy machine gun when security detachment is embarked
Aircraft carried	2 × CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters

USS Mars (AFS‑1), the third United States Navy ship to bear the name, was laid down by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, on 5 May 1962; launched on 15 June 1963, sponsored by Mrs. Clyde Doyle, widow of Representative Clyde Doyle of California; and commissioned at Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 21 December 1963.

Mars was the first of a new class that was intended to replace three types of supply ships: the AF (Store Ship), AKS (Stores Issue Ship), and AVS (Aviation Supply Ship). Two innovations were the ability to support CH-46/HH-46/UH‑46 helicopters and an automatic highline shuttle transfer system to make a rapid transfer of supplies possible. To speed replenishment processing, Mars became the first ship in the Pacific Fleet to be equipped with a UNIVAC 1104 computer system.