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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Northern Light (T-AK-284)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Yankee - Sierra
 NGYS
Northern Light Breakbulk Class Cargo Ship
  • Laid down, 1 April 1960, as SS Mormaccove, a Maritime Administration type (C3-S-33a) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 70), at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Chester, PA.
  • Launched, 1 April 1961
  • Delivered to Moore-McCormack Lines, 1 September 1961, for service as SS Mormaccove (IRCS - WMDG )
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, date unknown
  • Named shorten to SS Cove in 1977
  • Acquired by the US Navy in 1980
  • Converted for Naval service at Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, CA.
  • Placed in service, date unknown, with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Northern Light (T-AK-284)
  • Placed out of service, and laid up, 1 October 1984
  • Laid up, 9 May 1985, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., in RRF-30 status (MSC Ready Reserve available in 30 days)
  • Title transferred to MARAD, 1 October 2000, and released from RRF status
  • Final Disposition, scrappped, date unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,873 t.(lt) 18,410 t.(fl)
    Length 483'
    Beam 68'
    Draft 31' (max.)
    Speed 18 kts.
    Passengers 12
    Propulsion
    one steam turbine
    two boilers
    one propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Merchant Service Moore McCormack Lines
    Northern Light
    0913028403    		 194k SS Mormaccove pierside at Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 1964.
    Photo courtesy of Wolfgang Fricke. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.     		Robert Hurst
    Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Fleet
    Northern Light
    0913028404    		 282k SS Cove probably in Ready Reserve Force (RRF) status after having her name shortened from Mormaccove in 1977. She is being handled by the tug Cedar Point of the Curtis Bay Towing Co. of Baltimore, MD. She became USNS Northern Light (T-AK 284) in 1980.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo Identifier UA-282, photo No. Unknown, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    USNS Northen Light (T-AK-284)
    Northern Light
    0913028405    		 387k USNS Northern Light (T-AK 284) underway in the Philippines, date unknown.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file). Photo No. Unknown, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    Northern Light 19k USNS Northern Light (T-AK-284) underway, date and location unknown. Gunter Krebs
    Northern Light
    0913028402    		 151k Ex-USNS Northern Light (T-AK-284) drydocked (possibly at Mare Island, Vallejo, CA.) to have her bottom scrapped prior to being delivered to the shipbreakers, date and location unknown.
    Photo from flickr.com by Dave R.    		 John Spivey
    There is no history available for USNS Northern Light (T-AK-284) at NavSource
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 28 November 2025