USNS Spica

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History
United States
Name	USNS Spica
Ordered	For the Royal Navy as RFA Tarbatness (A-345)
Builder	Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend-On-Tyne
Laid down	1 April 1965
Launched	1 February 1967
Acquired	Purchased by the U.S. Navy, 1 November 1981
In service	1 November 1981, as USNS Spica (T-AFS-9)
Out of service	26 January 2008
Identification	IMO number: 6709933
Honors and awards	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Fate	Sunk as target 6 May 2009
General characteristics
Class and type	Sirius-class combat stores ship
Tonnage	6475 deadweight tonnage
Displacement	10,205 tons light, 16,680 tons full load
Length	523 ft (159 m) o/a
Beam	72 ft (22 m)
Draft	26 ft (7.9 m) (max.)
Propulsion	1 × diesel engine, 11,520 bhp (8,590 kW), single propeller
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement	123 Civilian, 47 Navy
Armament	None
Aircraft carried	2 × UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters

USNS Spica (T-AFS-9), was a combat stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy from the United Kingdom in 1981. She participated in Operation Fiery Vigil to evacuate Clark Air Base personnel following the Mount Pinatubo Eruption in 1991. She served as part of the Military Sealift Command until she was deactivated in 2008.

Before her U.S. Navy career, Spica served the United Kingdom's Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Tarbatness (A345).

RFA Tarbatness (A345) was built at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend-On-Tyne, England, for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was laid down on 1 April 1965 and was launched on 1 February 1967.

Spica was purchased by the U.S. Navy and placed into non-commissioned service as a combat stores ship on 1 November 1981 as the USNS Spica (T-AFS-9), a unit of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Naval Auxiliary Force Atlantic.

Spica’s mission was to provide underway replenishment in support of naval forces by providing refrigerated supplies, dry supplies, spare parts, general supplies, fleet freight, mail, and replacement personnel by alongside or by vertical replenishment processes.

Spica was authorized the following awards:^[1]

Spica was inactivated on 26 January 2008 and turned over to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for disposal.^[2] She was sunk as a target on 6 May 2009.^[2]

• Photo gallery of USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) – ex-RFA Tarbatness (A-345) at NavSource Naval History