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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-304)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Whiskey - Yankee NBWY

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal

Bob Hope Class Vehicle Cargo Ship- (LMSR) Medium-speed Roll-on/Roll-off ship:

Laid down, 29 June 1998, at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Avondale Operations, New Orleans, LA.

Launched, 29 January 2000

Delivered to the US Navy, 24 July 2001

Assigned to the Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-304)

USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-304) is one of the Navy's 11 Surge LMSRs operated by a private company under contract to MSC

USNS Pililaau is assigned to the MSC Atlantic surge force and is maintained in Ready Operational Status 4 (ROS-4)

Specifications:
Displacement 35,500 t.(lt) 62,069 t.(fl)
Length 951'
Beam 106'
Draft 34' (max)
Speed 24 kts.
Cargo Capacity 380,000 sq. ft. plus 49,991 sq. ft. deck cargo

Complement

Civilian Mariners 26 reduced / up to 45 full

US Navy personnel 50

Armament none

Propulsion

four Colt Pielstick 10 PC4.2 V Diesels, 65,160 hp(m) (47.89 MW)

two shafts, cp props

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	34k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** prior to launching, 29 January 2000, at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Avondale Operations, New Orleans, LA. US Navy photo	MSC Web Site
	226k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** christening and launching, 29 January 2000, at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Avondale Operations, New Orleans, LA. US Navy MSC photo	Bill Gonyo
	816k	A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter is offloaded from *USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)*,13 February 2006. The helicopter will be loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Naval Station Rota, Spain, for transportation. US Air Force photo # 060213-F-9105A-077 Rota, Spain (Feb. 13, 2006)* by Senior Airman Nichole Adamowicz.	Tony Cowart
	714k	A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter is unloaded from *USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)*,13 February 2006. The helicopter will be loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Naval Station Rota, Spain, for transportation. US Air Force photo # 060213-F-9105A-147 Rota, Spain (Feb. 13, 2006)* by Senior Airman Nichole Adamowicz.	Tony Cowart
	674k	US Army High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) from the 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, N.C., are loaded onto *USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** docked in New Orleans, 28 September 2005. The Navy and Army’s involvement in hurricane humanitarian assistance operations are led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Department of Defense. US Air Force photo # 050928-F-1424R-025 New Orleans (Sept. 28, 2005) by TSGT Tech. Sgt. Denise A. Rayder.	Tony Cowart
	3547k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304) passes Diamond Head Crater at Honolulu, Hawaii, 12 July 2008. Pililaau** is transporting the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division and 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command equipment from Hawaii to Camp Pendleton, CA. To support Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) 2008 exercise Pacific Strike, a joint exercise of the US military's ability to transfer war fighting and humanitarian equipment to shore from ships at sea. US Army photo # 080712-A-1211M-003 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 12, 2008) by Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller.	Robert M. Cieri and Tony Cowart
	2049k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** anchored off the coast of Red Beach in Camp Pendleton, CA., 22 July 2008, with the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility attached as the improved Navy lighterage system makes it's approach during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. JLOTS 2008 is an engineering, logistical training exercise between Army and Navy units under a joint force commander as a means to load and unload ships without the benefit of deep draft-capable, fixed port facilities. US Navy photo # 080722-N-1424C-509 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 22, 2008) by MC2 Brian P. Caracci.	Lee Wahler
	1521k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** anchored off the coast of Red Beach in Camp Pendleton, CA., 22 July 2008, with the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility extending aft of the ship during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. JLOTS 2008 is an engineering, logistical training exercise between Army and Navy units under a joint force commander as a means to load and unload ships without the benefit of deep draft-capable, fixed port facilities. US Navy photo # 080722-N-1424C-501 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 22, 2008) by MC2 Brian P. Caracci.	Bill Gonyo
	2018k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** anchored off the coast of Red Beach in Camp Pendleton, CA., 24 July 2008, with the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility attached to the improved Navy lighterage system during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. JLOTS 2008 is an engineering, logistical training exercise between Army and Navy units under a joint force commander as a means to load and unload ships without the benefit of deep draft-capable, fixed port facilities. US Navy photo # 080724-N-1424C-197 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 24, 2008) by MC2 Brian P. Caracci.	Lee Wahler
	1311k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** sideport ramp opens onto a floating platform of Army barges two miles off the coast of Camp Pendleton, CA. as part of a joint-logistics-over-the-shore exercise. Photo by Laura Seal.	Robert Hurst
	217k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** moor pierside, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
0954030413	142k	US Navy Maritime Prepositioning Force ship *USNS Pililaau* (T-AK-304)** executes a Group Sail with Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron (MPSRON 3) off the coast of Guam, 4 October 2017. *MPSRON 3* operates in the western Pacific, maintaining tactical control of the 13 ships carrying afloat prepositioned U.S. military cargo for the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force. The squadron's mission is to enable force from the sea by providing swift and effective transportation of vital equipment and supplies for designated operations. U.S Navy photo # 171004-N-DX3650104 by MCC Joan Jennings	Robert Hurst
0954030412	177k	*USNS Pililaau* (T-AKR-304)** moored pierside at Naval Base Guam, Kilo pier, 21 February 2021, while U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 3 (CLR-3), 3d Marine Logistics Group (MLG), conduct a Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) offload during Hagåtña Fury 21. CLR-3 is conducting Hagåtña Fury 21 in concert with elements of 3d Marine Division (MARDIV), *1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and Maritime Prepositioning Squadron 3* in order to build and test a “Fight Now” force capable of providing expeditionary sustainment from key maritime terrain in support of III MEF. During the exercise, *CLR-3* is operating with 3D MARDIV and 1st MAW to execute seizure and defense of key maritime terrain and expeditionary advanced base sustainment operations around Okinawa, while simultaneously conducting an MPF offload and distributed command and control from Naval Base Guam. *3d MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force’s* comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. US Marine Corps photo # 210221-M-LN574-0007 NAVAL BASE GUAM (Feb. 21, 2021) by Lance Cpl. Moises Rodriguez	Lee Wahler