U.S. Navy

Oilers

The Fast Carrier Task Force didn't run on courage — it ran on fuel oil and aviation gasoline. Every mile steamed, every sortie launched, every shore bombardment fired depended on fleet oilers delivering fuel underway, in every sea state, in every threat environment. From WWII Cimarrons fueling the Pacific drive to Henry J. Kaiser-class tankers keeping today's carrier strike groups on station — without oilers, the fleet stops.

World War II - Fueling the Pacific 1939 - 1945

Cimarron-Class (T2)

The Oilers That Won the Pacific

Built on the T2 tanker hull that American shipyards could produce faster than any other vessel, the wartime Cimarrons were the logistical foundation of the Pacific War. Without them, the Fast Carrier Task Force stops. Every island-hopping campaign, every carrier strike, every shore bombardment depended on Cimarron-class oilers steaming to rendezvous points and pumping fuel while underway. They operated in typhoons, under kamikaze attack, and across distances no navy had ever sustained. USS Mississinewa was sunk by a Japanese kaiten suicide torpedo at Ulithi — the first victim of the weapon. These ships turned the Pacific Ocean from an obstacle into a highway. Read more

Explore Collection

Converted T2 Tankers

Standard T2-SE-A1 tankers pulled off the merchant fleet production lines and converted to Navy fleet oilers. The conversion was minimal — add fueling-at-sea rigs, Navy communications, and a few anti-aircraft guns. Speed was the sacrifice: Suamicos couldn't keep up with the fast carriers, so they operated as station oilers at forward anchorages and fueling rendezvous points. Unglamorous, essential, and produced fast enough to keep pace with the Navy's insatiable thirst for fuel oil and aviation gasoline. Read more

Explore Collection

Gasoline Tankers

Small gasoline tankers that carried aviation fuel to forward bases across the Pacific. Every airfield carved out of a captured island needed avgas before the first plane could land. Escambia-class tankers delivered it — threading through submarine-infested waters to anchorages that didn't exist on any prewar chart. Carrying volatile aviation gasoline in a combat zone. One torpedo, one bomb, one mine, and the ship becomes a fireball. The crews knew it. They sailed anyway. Read more

Explore Collection

Cold War Fleet Oilers 1954 - 1991

AO-105 - AO-109

Mispillion-Class

Jumboized Fleet Oilers

Built as T3-S2-A3 tankers during the war, then "jumboized" in the 1960s — cut in half and a new midsection welded in to increase fuel capacity by 50%. The Mispillions bridged the gap between WWII oilers and the modern underway replenishment fleet. They served through Korea, Vietnam, and into the Cold War, providing the fleet with a lesson: you don't need the newest ship, you need enough fuel at the right place. Read more

Explore Collection

AO-143 - AO-148

Fast Fleet Oilers

The first oilers designed from the keel up to keep pace with carrier battle groups at sustained high speed. Twenty knots — fast enough to stay with the fleet instead of waiting at rendezvous points. The Neosho-class carried 180,000 barrels of fuel oil and aviation gasoline and could transfer it at sea via multiple fueling stations simultaneously. They set the standard for every fleet oiler that followed. Named for rivers, as all oilers are, honoring the tradition that the lifeblood of the fleet flows like water. Read more

Explore Collection

AO-177 - AO-180

Cimarron-Class (AO-177)

Cold War Fleet Oilers

Second class to carry the Cimarron name — Cold War-era fleet oilers built to replace aging WWII-era tankers. Navy-crewed and designed to operate in contested waters alongside the battle group. The last conventionally-crewed Navy oilers before the transition to Military Sealift Command civilian-manned ships. When the Navy decided oilers didn't need to be warships, these were the last class built on the assumption that they did. Read more

Explore Collection

Military Sealift Command Era 1974 - Present

T-AO-187 - T-AO-204

Henry J. Kaiser-Class

MSC Underway Replenishment Oilers

The current fleet oilers of the United States Navy, crewed by Military Sealift Command civilians with small Navy detachments for communications, helicopter operations, and force protection. Sixteen ships named for people — not rivers — because MSC uses a different naming convention than the Navy. They carry JP-5 aviation fuel, marine diesel, and dry cargo to every carrier strike group on every deployment. USNS John Lewis-class replacements are under construction, but as of 2026, the Kaiser-class still does the work. Every deployed carrier battle group has a Kaiser-class oiler keeping it fed and fueled. Read more

Explore Collection

John Lewis-Class

Next Generation Fleet Oilers

Lead Ship Delivery

The Kaiser-class replacements, currently under construction at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. Named for civil rights leaders and social justice figures — a deliberate departure from naval naming traditions that has generated significant debate. Twenty ships planned. The lead ship USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) was christened in 2021. Larger than the Kaisers with improved fuel capacity and a full double hull for environmental protection. The ships that will fuel the Navy for the next forty years — assuming the shipyard can deliver them on schedule. So far, the program is years behind. Read more

Explore Collection

150+

Oilers Built

Billions

Barrels Delivered

100+

Years Fueling

Fuel

Is the Fleet