ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Replenishment oiler

Okay kiddo, so you know how cars and toys need gas or batteries to keep running? Well, big ships that travel on water need something called fuel to keep them moving too. But these ships use a lot more fuel than a car or a toy, and they can't just stop at a gas station to fill up. That's where a replenishment oiler comes in.

A replenishment oiler is a really big ship that carries a lot of fuel, kind of like a mobile gas station for other ships. When a ship needs more fuel, it can pull up alongside the replenishment oiler and the two ships can connect using special hoses.

The fuel travels through the hoses from the replenishment oiler to the other ship, where it gets stored in tanks. That way, the other ship can keep on traveling without running out of fuel. Replenishment oilers can also carry other important supplies like food, water, and ammunition, which they can provide to other ships when needed.

So basically, a replenishment oiler is like a big helper ship that makes sure other ships have the fuel and supplies they need to keep on sailing. Pretty cool, huh?