Vigor Marine Portland Completes Largest T-AKE Overhaul on USNS Washington Chambers

2 July 2026

(Image credit: US Navy)

Vigor Marine Portland has completed a Regular Overhaul (ROH) on USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship, at the Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Oregon. Approximately 250 skilled workers supported the maintenance availability of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) vessel, demonstrating VMG's commitment to fleet readiness and sustaining family-wage jobs in the Pacific Northwest.

“The successful completion of USNS Washington Chambers reflects the skill, dedication, and teamwork of our employees, subcontractor partners, and customer representatives,” said Adam Beck, EVP of Maintenance and Modernization for VMG. “This availability represented the largest T-AKE-class contract completed by our team to date, showing both the expertise of our team in Portland and our ability to scale to the ever-changing needs of our customers.”

The availability required close coordination with Military Sealift Command, subcontractors, and shipyard personnel across all major crafts, including machinists, electricians, painters, and shipfitters. The availability included hull and tank coating preservation, propulsion system inspections, electronics upgrades, and underway replenishment (UNREP) equipment overhauls.

In addition to USNS Washington Chambers, Swan Island is currently supporting several other availabilities, including USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and USS Savannah (LCS-28).