View source for Watson-class vehicle cargo ship

{{more citations needed|date=April 2010}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Watson (T-AKR-310).jpg
|Ship caption={{USNS|Watson|T-AKR-310|6}}, the [[lead ship]] of the class.
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Watson''
|Builders=[[National Steel and Shipbuilding Company]]
|Operators=
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1996&ndash;2002
|In service range=
|In commission range=1998&ndash;
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=8
|Total ships cancelled=
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|Total ships laid up=
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|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off]] [[Vehicle cargo ship]]
|Ship displacement=62,970 tons full
|Ship length={{convert|951.4|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|106|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} 
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|34.1|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} maximum
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=Gas turbine
|Ship speed={{convert|24|kn|lk=in|kph|0}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity={{convert|393,000|ft2|abbr=on|0}} 
|Ship complement=
|Ship crew=26 civilian crew (up to 45); up to 50 active duty
|Ship time to activate=
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|Ship armour=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=helicopter landing area
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Watson''-class vehicle cargo ship''' is a series of [[vehicle cargo ship]]s, used by the [[United States]] for [[Maritime Prepositioning ship|prepositioning]] of ground vehicles. The [[Ship class|class]] comprises eight of [[Military Sealift Command]]'s nineteen [[Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off]] ships and is one part of the 33 ships involved in the Prepositioning Program.

The [[lead ship]] of this class is {{USNS|Watson|T-AKR-310|6}}. The class, as with the lead ship, was named for Private [[George Watson (U.S. Army)|George Watson]], a [[Medal of Honor]] Recipient.
 
''Watson'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 23 May 1996, [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 26 July 1997, and put into service in the [[Pacific Ocean]] on 23 June 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/docs/980630-press27.htm|title=MSC takes delivery of USNS Watson|access-date=3 June 2019}}</ref> The most recent ship of the class is {{USNS|Soderman|T-AKR-317|6}}, laid down on 31 October 2000, launched on 26 April 2002, and put into service in the Pacific Ocean on 24 September 2002.

== Vessels ==
* [[USNS Watson (T-AKR-310)|USNS ''Watson'']] (T-AKR-310)
* [[USNS Sisler (T-AKR-311)|USNS ''Sisler'']] (T-AKR-311)
* [[USNS Dahl (T-AKR-312)|USNS ''Dahl'']] (T-AKR-312)
* [[USNS Red Cloud (T-AKR-313)|USNS ''Red Cloud'']] (T-AKR-313)
* [[USNS Charlton (T-AKR-314)|USNS ''Charlton'']] (T-AKR-314)
* [[USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)|USNS ''Watkins'']] (T-AKR-315)
* [[USNS Pomeroy (T-AKR-316)|USNS ''Pomeroy'']] (T-AKR-316)
* [[USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317)|USNS ''Soderman'']] (T-AKR-317)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Watson class vehicle cargo ship}}
{{Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off}}

[[Category:Watson-class vehicle cargo ships| ]]
[[Category:Auxiliary transport ship classes]]
{{Active ship classes of the United States Navy}}{{US-navy-stub}}