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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by T.J. Tropea

USNS Spica (T-AFS-9)
ex
 RFA Tarbatness (A-345) (1967 - 1981)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Mike - Juliet - Golf
NMJG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Sirius Class Combat Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 April 1965, at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend-On-Tyne, United Kingdom for the Royal Navy as RFA Tarbatness (A-345)
  • Launched, 1 February 1967
  • Purchased by US Navy and placed in service, as USNS Spica (T-AFS-9), 1 November 1981
  • Spica was a unit of the MSC Naval Auxiliary Force, MSC Atlantic
  • Inactived, 26 January 2008 and turned over to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA, for disposal
  • Finial Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,205 t. (lt), 16,680 t. (fl)
    Dead Weight 6475 t.
    Length 523' (ov)
    Beam 72'
    Draft 26 ft. Maximum Navigational
    Speed 18 knots
    Aircraft Two UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
    Armament None
    Complement 123 Civilian, 47 Navy
    Propulsion one diesel engine, 11,520 brake horsepower, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    RFA Tarbatness (A-345)
    Spica 62k RFA Tarbatness (A-344) underway, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    Spica 103k RFA Tarbatness (A-344) underway alongside a Royal Navy destroyer, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    Spica 75k RFA Tarbatness (A-344) moored, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    Spica 56k RFA Tarbatness (A-344) underway, date and location unknown. TJ Tropea RM1 USN Ret. USNS Sirius, courtesy RFA Association, Plymouth & District Branch, The Mortimore Gallery
    USNS Spica (T-AFS-9)
    Spica 80k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) rests on blocks in the medium auxiliary floating dry dock Resourceful (AFDM-5). at Naval Station Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines, 1 January 1987. The submarine tender USS Proteus (AS-19), with two Sturgeon class nuclear-powered attack submarines nested alongside, is on the right. The Naval Supply Depot is in the background.
    DOD photo # DNST9301078, by PH2 Ellenwood.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 70k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) moored pierside at Sydney, Australia, 6 May 1987, during the Royal Australian Navy's 75th Anniversary celebrations.
    Photo courtesy Ray Smith of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 54k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) coming alongside USS Nimitz (CVN-68),
    in the Arabian Gulf for underway replenishment.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Spica 64k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo     		MSC web site
    Spica 22k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) moored at X-Ray Wharf at Guam, August 2000.
    Photos courtesy LT. Don Wilson, USN.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 205k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy LT. Don Wilson, USN.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 19k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy LT. Don Wilson, USN.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 169k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy LT. Don Wilson, USN.    		 T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 448k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) and USNS Saturn (T-AF-10) steaming side by side during turnover, 14 February 2007, in the Red Sea. T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Spica 99k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) steams alongside USS Harry S. Truman (CV-75) during a replenishment at sea (UNREP), 17 March 2001.
    US Navy photo # E-030117-N-9851B-008 from the US Navy Newsstand web site.    		 Bernard A. Cardali USN, USS LST-308
    Spica 80k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) steams alongside USS Harry S. Truman (CV-75) during a replenishment at sea (UNREP), 17 March 2001.
    US Navy photo # E-030117-N-9851B-028 from the US Navy Newsstand web site.    		 Bernard A. Cardali USN, USS LST-308
    Spica 44k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway in the Gulf of Aden or the Northern Arabian Sea, 18 March 2002. Photo taken from USS Hue City (CG-66). Photo by Lt. Steve Dundas, CHC USNR USS Hue City
    Spica 57k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) approaches USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) prior to conducting underway replenishment with the carrier, 18 December 2002. Underway Replenishment is the method by which provisions, ammunition and fuel are transferred from one ship to another at sea. The technique enables a fleet or naval formation to remain at sea for prolonged periods of time. US Navy photo by PH3 Christopher B. Stoltz USN. [021218-N-9964S-003]. Bernard A. Cardali USS LST-308
    Spica 74k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) prepares to conduct a simultaneous Refueling at Sea (RAS) with Amphibious Assault Ship USS Saipan (LHA 2) (top) and Amphibious Transport Dock USS Ponce (LPD 15) (bottom). Saipan and Ponce are part of Amphibious Task Force East (AFT-E), underway on an unscheduled deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo # 030131-N-2972R-056 by PH3 Angel Roman-Otero. Bernard A. Cardali USS LST-308
    CVN-75 106k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) steams alongside USS Harry S. Truman during an Underway Replenishment (UNREP), 17 January 2003.. U.S. Navy photo # 030117-N-9851B-027 by PH2 John L. Beeman. Bernard A. Cardali, USN LST-308
    Spica 205k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway on the Elizabeth River at Norfolk, VA., 19 September 2005. Photo by Marc Piché of Vercheres, Quebec, Canada, ©2007, submitted by TJ Tropea
    Spica 68k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Leonhardt
    Spica 58k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 US Navy Newsstand
    Spica 71k USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 US Navy Newsstand
    Spica 177k Port bow view of USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) inbound on the Elizabeth River off Norfolk, VA., 31 May 2007. Photo by Marc Piché of Vercheres, Quebec, Canada, ©2007, submitted by TJ Tropea
    Spica 213k Port quarter view of USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) inbound on the Elizabeth River off Norfolk, VA., 31 May 2007. Photo by Marc Piché of Vercheres, Quebec, Canada, ©2007, submitted by TJ Tropea
    USNS Spica AirDet Patches
    Contributed by T.J. Tropea RM1 USN Ret USNS Sirius
    Sirius Spica
    There is no DANFS history currently available for Spica (T-AFS-9) at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Navy Fact File - Combat Stores Ships - T-AFS
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 14 March 2008