USNS Kingsport (T-AG-164)

USNS "Kingsport" (T-AG-164) began its career as "Kingsport Victory" (T-AK-239), which served as a cargo vessel during World War II. "Kingsport Victory" was acquired by the United States Navy from the Maritime Commission on 1 March 1950, and carried military cargo for the next eleven years. On 24 September 1961, she was delivered to the Portland, Oregon facilities of Willamette Iron & Steel Company where she underwent conversion to a satellite communication ship. On 14 November 1961 she was renamed "Kingsport" and reclassified AG-164.

Designed for use by the United States Army Satellite Communications Agency in the defense satellite communications programs, Project ADVENT, "Kingsport Victory" underwent extensive alteration during conversion. A special high frequency radio station was installed for ship-to-shore communications. She received advanced tracking and telemetry equipment and anti-roll stabilization tanks. In addition, a 30-foot, gyro-stabilized, computer-oriented, triaxial, parabolic antenna was installed on her afterdeck. Housed in a 53-foot, plastic, air-pressurized radome, this antenna permitted precision tracking of a high altitude satellite at any angle above the horizon.

In August 1963, "Kingsport" relayed the initial live broadcast of a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy in Washington, DC and Prime Minister Balawa in Nigeria via Syncom, one of the first synchronous satellites launched.

It was named in honor of Kingsport, Tennessee.

Kingsport was decommissioned on 31 Jan 1984 and donated for scrap 21 Jan 1992.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kingsport_victory.htm

External links

* [http://patriot.net/~eastlnd2/Kingsport.htm Personal account of USNS "Kingsport"]