
During a visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that the new class of fleet replenishment oilers—up to now known as TAO(X)—would be named for civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)The Navy wants to buy 17 new oilers, which distribute fuel to ships in theater, extending the endurance of those vessels and their embarked aircraft. It plans to procure the first ship in the class, USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), in fiscal 2016. Congress approved…