USNS Matthew Perry

USNS Matthew Perry

History
Awarded	30 January 2006
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding
Laid down	3 October 2008
Launched	16 August 2009
Sponsored by	Hester G. Evans
Christened	16 August 2009
Acquired	24 February 2010[1]
Identification	IMO number: 9383625 MMSI number: 367840000 Callsign: NPER
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship
Displacement	23,852 tons light, 40,298 tons full, 16,446 tons dead
Length	210 m (689 ft) overall, 199.3 m (654 ft) waterline
Beam	32.3 m (106 ft) extreme, 32.3 m (106 ft) waterline
Draft	9.1 m (30 ft) maximum, 9.4 m (31 ft) limit
Propulsion	Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6 kV by FM/MAN B&W diesel generators; one fixed pitch propeller; bow thruster
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Range	14,000 nmi (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity	Max dry cargo weight:  5,910 LT (6,000 t) Max dry cargo volume:  783,000 cu ft (22,200 m3) Max cargo fuel weight:  2,350 LT (2,390 t) Cargo fuel volume:  18,000 bbl (2,900 m3)
Complement	49 military, 123 civilian
Electronic warfare & decoys	Nulka decoy launchers
Armament	2–6 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns or 7.62 mm medium machine guns
Aircraft carried	two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale SA330J Puma

USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE-9) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794–1858), who led the effort to open Japan to trade with the West.^[2]

The contract to build Matthew Perry was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 30 January 2006. Her keel was laid down on 3 October 2008. She was launched and christened on 16 August 2009, sponsored by Hester Evans, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Perry.