USNSSirius
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | RFALyness(A339) |
| Namesake | Lyness,Scotland |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson |
| Laid down | 1 April 1965 |
| Launched | 1 April 1966 |
| Commissioned | 22 December 1966 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | Purchased by US, 1 January 1981 |
 United States | |
| Name | USNSSirius(T-AFS-8) |
| Namesake | Sirius |
| Acquired | 1 January 1981 |
| In service | 18 January 1981 |
| Out of service | 1 July 2005 |
| Stricken | 1 July 2005 |
| Identification | IMO number:6706888 |
| Fate | Scrapped 2014 |
 | |
| Name | TSTexas Clipper III |
| Namesake | Texas Clipper |
| Acquired | 2005 |
| Identification | IMO number:6706888 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 523 ft (159 m) (overall) |
| Beam | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Draft | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement | 123 Civilian, 30-47 Navy (USN service) |
| Sensors and processing systems | RaytheonSHF navigation radar |
| Armament | 8 pintle mounts, variable numbers of.50 BMGor7.62×51mmmachine guns (USN service) |
| Aircraft carried | TwoCH-46 Sea Knight,MH-60 SeahawkorAerospatiale Super Pumahelicopters(USN service) |
USNSSirius(T-AFS 8)was aSirius-classcombat stores shipof theUnited States Navy,named forSirius(α Canis Majoris),the brighteststarvisible from Earth other than the Sun.
Siriuswas built bySwan Hunter & Wigham Richardsonfor theRoyal Navy.Laid down in 1965, she waslaunchedin 1966 fromWallsendasRFALynesswith the pennantA339serving in the BritishRoyal Fleet Auxiliary.
On 15 November 1980, the ship was acquired by charter by theUnited States Military Sealift Command.She was transferred to the U.S. Navy'sMilitary Sealift Commandin 1981.[citation needed]
Siriuswas deactivated and struck from theNaval Vessel Registerin 2005 and given to theU.S. Department of Transportation'sMaritime Administration(MARAD), then assigned toTexas Maritime Academyunder an agreement that it can be activated by MARAD at any time. During the fall of 2005, theSiriusserved inNew OrleansforKatrinarelief, from 10 September until 29 November and atLake Charles, LAforRitarelief until 2 March. Because of its extended relief effort theSiriuswas unable to undergo a refit in 2006 to adapt its new role as a training vessel and comply withU.S. Coast Guardsafety standards. Because theSiriushad not undergone a refit, it could not be formally commissioned as the USTSTexas Clipper IIInor could it be used for summer training cruises. In the winter of 2009 the US Coast Guard ruled that theSiriuswas unfit for training and was prepared for decommissioning while the school looked for a new training ship. On 25 June 2009, theSiriuswas returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration.[1]
Siriuswas scrapped at Brownsville on 30 May 2014.[2]
Honors and awards[edit]
The USNSSiriusis authorized the following awards:[3]
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Citations[edit]
- ^Sirius Returned to Maritime AdminArchived5 December 2009 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Lyness(6706888) ".Miramar Ship Index.Retrieved18 June2022.
- ^"U.S. Navy Awards Website"
References[edit]
- T.J. Tropea, RM1 (Ret) (19 January 2007)."T-AFS-8Sirius:History ".Navsource.org.Retrieved13 January2008.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Gary P. Priolo (28 September 2007)."T-AFS-8Sirius".Navsource.org.Retrieved13 January2008.
- "SIRIUS (AFS 8)".Naval Vessel Register.United States Navy.Retrieved13 January2008.
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