The Defense Department has formally added a new project to its roster of big-ticket weapon system acquisitions: the John Lewis (T-AO 205)-class fleet oiler program, a $10.7 billion effort to build 17 new Navy logistics ships to recapitalize the aging T-AO 187-class cargo and fuel haulers. In late November, the Pentagon sent Congress an initial Selected Acquisition Report for the new fleet oiler, a capability that gives the Navy the ability to sustain an afloat military presence far from the...
