USAV Major General Robert Smalls

USAV Major General Robert Smalls and USAV Major General Charles P. Gross on 9 November 2012
History
United States
Name	Major General Robert Smalls
Namesake	Robert Smalls
Operator	United States Army
Builder	VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula
Acquired	21 June 2006
Commissioned	15 September 2007
Identification	IMO number: 9408750 MMSI number: 369872000 Callsign: AABF Pennant number: LSV-8
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	General Frank S. Besson class roll-on/roll-off
Displacement	4,199 long tons (4,266 t)
Length	273 ft (83 m)
Beam	60 ft (18 m)
Draft	12 ft (3.7 m)
Propulsion	2 × EMD 16-645E2; 1,950 hp (1,454 kW) each at 999 rpm
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) light 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) loaded
Range	8,200 nmi (15,200 km) light 6,500 nmi (12,000 km) loaded
Complement	8 officers, 23 enlisted

USAV Major General Robert Smalls (LSV-8) is a General Frank S. Besson Jr.-class roll-on/roll-off of the US Army.

Named in honor of Gen. Frank S. Besson Jr., former Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army, these ships have bow and stern ramps and the ability to beach themselves, giving them the ability to discharge 900 short tons of vehicles and cargo over the shore in as little as four feet of water, or 2,000 short tons as an intra-theater line haul roll-on/roll-off cargo ship.^[1] The vessel's cargo deck is designed to handle any vehicle in the US Army inventory and can carry up to 15 M1 Abrams main battle tanks or 82 ISO standard containers.^[2]

She was acquired by the US Army on 21 June 2006 and commissioned on 15 September 2007 into the 605th Transportation Detachment, 8th Theater Sustainment Command.^[3]

• Navsource – Photo Gallery
• Frank S Besson Class LSV Logistic Support Vessel
• LSVs at globalsecurity.org
• Photo gallery: Family tour aboard the LSV-7 Kuroda | The Honolulu Advertiser
• LSV-8 USAV MG Roberts Smalls – a set on Flickr
• Army Commissions Vessel Named after African-American Civil War Hero, S.C. Statesman