Keel laying of Navy T-AKE Class auxiliary ship

General Dynamics NASSCO began construction of T-AKE 14 in October 2010. The ship is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. Navy in the fourth quarter of 2012. When T-AKE 14 enters the fleet, the 210 m long ship will join other Military Sealift Command vessels built by NASSCO to deliver as much as 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions at one time to combat ships at sea supporting military or humanitarian duties in places like Japan, south Asia and the Mediterranean.

The keel runs in the middle of the ship, from the bow to the stern, and serves as the foundation or spine of the structure, providing the major source of structural strength of the hull. The keel is generally the first part of a ship's hull to be constructed, and laying the keel, or placing the keel in the cradle in which the ship will be built, is a momentous event in the ship's construction.