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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Rigel Patch Contributed by Jim McCoy / USNS Patch Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AF-58 / T-AF-58 Rigel

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Sierra - India

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (Op. Provide Comfort 1991) - Navy Expeditionary Medal
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal

Rigel Class Stores Ship:

Laid down, 15 March 1954, as a Maritime Administration type (R3-S-4A) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 36), at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 15 March 1955

Commissioned USS Rigel (AF-58), 2 September 1955

Decommissioned in June 1975

Placed in service by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Rigel (T-AF-58), 23 June 1975

Placed out of service (date unknown)

Struck from the Naval Register, 16 May 1994

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet

Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration, 1 April 1998, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.

Final Disposition, to be scrapped in late 2003 at Able UK, Teeside, England

Specifications:
Displacement 15,150 t(fl)
Length 502'
Beam 72'
Draft 29'
Speed 21 kts.
USS Complement 350
Armament four dual mount 3"/50 gun mounts
Propulsion 600psi cross compound steam turbine, single propeller

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Rigel (AF-58)
	108k	Rigel (AF-58), at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA., 15 May 1955	Photo by Larry Bohn
	85k	Rigel (AF-58) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1959.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	82k	Rigel (AF-58) underway with a new Helicopter Extended Area Platform (HEAP) designed to speed replenishment. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1961.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	47k	Cover of Rigel (AF-58) Welcome Aboard pamphlet, 1964-65	Jim McCoy USS Rigel 1964-65
	96k	Rigel (AF-58), pier side, NOB, Norfolk, VA., August 1964	© Richard Leonhardt
	86k	Rigel (AF-58), pier side, NOB, Norfolk, VA., August 1964. Waldron (DD-699) is in the background.	© Richard Leonhardt
	88k	Rigel (AF-58), Christmas card, 1964.	Jim McCoy USS Rigel (AF-58) 1964-65
	82k	Rigel (AF-58), pier side, Kingston, Jamaica, 15 February 1970 with Koelsch (DE-1049), out board to port.	© Richard Leonhardt
	55k	Rigel (AF-58),Mediterranean Sea, circa 1970-71	Photo by Steve Gottlief Contributed by Jim McCoy
	63k	Rigel (AF-58) underway, date and place unknown. US Navy photo.	Jim McCoy USS Rigel (AF-58) 1964-65
USNS Rigel (T-AF-58)
	136k	Rigel (T-AF-58), date and place unknown. US Navy photo from MSC "Sealift Magazine"	Bill Valashinas
	92k	Rigel (T-AF-58) and Sirius (T-AFS-8) underway in the Mediterranean, circa 1981. US Navy photo	T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius
	36k	Rigel (T-AF-58), at Barcelona, Spain, 6 June 1982. *Rigel* was the first of two built-for-the-purpose, fully refrigerated stores ships. Note helicopter platform aft, armament removed, MSC crest and blue and gold bands on stack.	Photo by Fabio Peña