Fast Combat Support Ships.—The fast combatsupport ship (AOE) is the largest and most powerfulauxiliary ship in the Navy. Unlike other replenishmentships, the AOE is designed to operate as an integralforce rather than as a unit of an underway replenishmentgroup.The AOE (fig. 8-36) is a multiple-product ship(missiles, fuel, ammunition, and general cargo) that hasa cargo-fuel capacity greater than that of our largestfleet oilers plus a hold capacity equal to the largestammunition ship. In addition, the ship carries a largeload of both general supplies, materials, andrefrigerated cargo.Other than speed and capacity, this ship has twomajor areas of improvement over other replenishmentvessels—material handling and replenishment at sea.Materials, other than missiles and special weapons, aremoved vertically by elevators or conveyors. Horizontalmovement of general cargo and ammunition ismechanized through the use of pallet transporters andforklift trucks. Cargo helicopters are available to8-29Figure 8-34.—An AE highlines a missile to a guided-missile ship during replenishment at sea.Student Notes:
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