page_title: USNS Catawba (T-ATF-168)
section_title: Ship history
hierarchical_section_title: USNS Catawba (T-ATF-168) / Ship history
caption_attribution_description: English: The U.S. Navy fleet ocean tug USNS Catawba (T-ATF 168) provides fuel and fresh water to Motor Vessel Faina following its release by Somali pirates on February 5th after holding it for more than four months. The U.S. Navy has remained within visual range of the ship and maintained a 24-hour, 7-days a week presence since it was captured.
context_page_description: USNS Catawba is a Powhatan-class fleet ocean tug operated by the Military Sealift Command for the United States Navy. Currently home ported in Manama, Bahrain.
context_section_description: USNS Catawba was deployed to the Northern Persian Gulf during the second Gulf War (Feb-Mar 2003). Her divers provided critical assistance in recovering the bodies of aircrew from two 849 Naval Air Squadron Sea King ASaC.7 helicopters which had collided on 22 March 2003 off the Al-Faw Peninsula, while operating from HMS Ark Royal.
  Catawba provided MV Faina with food, water, and medical supplies after that ship was released by Somali pirates.
caption: Catawaba, left, supplies the Faina, right.
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