William Burdette Mclean News

Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS William McLean during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. The 689-foot long McLean, designated T-AKE 12, is the 12th of 14 new dry cargo/ammunition ships scheduled for delivery to the Navy by the end of 2012. The first ship of the class, USNS Lewis and Clark, joined MSC’s fleet in 2006 and is one of 11 dry cargo/ ammunition ships currently operating as part of the command’s Combat Logistics Force, delivering vital fuel, equipment and supplies to Navy warships at sea.

SAN DIEGO – General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today launched the U.S. Navy’s newest supply ship, USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12), during an evening christening ceremony at the shipyard. The USNS William McLean is the 12th of a class of 14 dry cargo/ammunition ships slated to serve as Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships or be part of the Maritime Prepositioning Force. USNS William McLean is named after William Burdette McLean (1914–1976), the U.S. Navy physicist who conceived and developed the heat-seeking Sidewinder missile.

USNS William McLean, the newest ship in the U.S. Navy's Lewis and Clark-class of dry cargo/ammunition ships, slid into the water for the first time April 16 during a nighttime launch and christening ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. With a blast from the ship’s horn, McLean’s sponsor, Margaret Taylor, niece of the ship’s namesake, broke the traditional bottle of champagne against the bow as a colorful fireworks display lit up the night sky. “I am honored to represent then 9…

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter announced the names of four new Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships (T-AKE) as Matthew Perry, Charles Drew, Washington Chambers and William McLean. All of the Lewis and Clark ships are named in honor of American explorers and pioneers and are being built by General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif. The selection of Matthew Perry, designated T-AKE 9, honors Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who led a squadron of ships to Japan in 1853 with the aim of opening that nation to trade. He served during the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, and was sent to suppress piracy and the slave trade in the West Indies. The selection of Charles Drew, designated T-AKE 10, honors Dr. Charles R.