The USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship operated by the United States Navy, named in honor of astronaut and Rear Admiral Alan Shepard, the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon. Constructed by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, the contract for her building was awarded on July 16, 2002, with construction commencing on September 13, 2005. She was launched on December 6, 2006, with Laura Churchley, daughter of RAdm. Shepard, serving as her sponsor. The vessel entered active service in 2007 and was initially assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Designed as a versatile supply ship, the USNS Alan Shepard supports naval operations by delivering dry cargo, ammunition, and provisions to fleet units at sea. Her operational history includes participation in notable exercises, such as Exercise Pacific Vanguard in August 2022. During this exercise, she launched a BQM-177A target drone during live-fire training with the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and the Australian frigate HMAS Perth. This event marked the first use of the drone in a training scenario, with both participating ships successfully launching missiles to intercept the drone. By 2023, Alan Shepard was reassigned to the U.S. Fifth Fleet. In July of that year, while departing a shipyard in Al Hidd, Bahrain, she ran aground but was refloated the following day by tugboats. Fortunately, there were no injuries among the approximately 85 personnel onboard, and subsequent inspections indicated that the vessel did not sustain significant damage. The USNS Alan Shepard remains a vital logistical asset within the Navy’s underway replenishment fleet, contributing to sustained naval operations across key maritime regions.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.