The abbreviation AF stands for Store Ship (underway replenishment) in the military field, especially in the US. You can find more abbreviations starting with AF here. Also take a look at our list with military acronyms.
AF as a Ship Type
AF is the hull classification symbol of the US Navy for store ships – supply vessels that carry food, spare parts and general supplies of a fleet. Unlike ammunition ships (AE), which carry weapons, store ships bring everything a warship needs for daily life and operations at sea.
Replenishment at Sea
Store ships transfer their cargo to combat ships during underway replenishment: alongside at sea via highlines or by helicopter. In this way a carrier group can remain deployed for weeks without entering a harbor. Well-known examples of the AF type include the USS Rigel (AF-58) and USS Vega (AF-59).
Today the role is filled by the T-AFS and T-AKE types of the Military Sealift Command. In current US Navy documents, AF usually means Air Force – the ship meaning belongs mainly to registers of vessels and naval history.
Leave a Reply