The keel was laid for the future first-in-class fleet replenishment oiler John Lewis (T-AO-205) in a ceremony in San Diego this week. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) is building the new fleet of oilers for U.S. Navy ships and laid the keel on the first ship of the class on May 13, according to NASSCO. The John Lewis-class will also honor other civil rights figures including Harvey Milk, Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth. In June 2016, the Navy awarded NASSCO a $3.2-billion contract to build six John Lewis-class oilers. Ultimately, the Navy plans to buy 20 John Lewis-class ships over the course of three contract awards, according to the Military Sealift Command.