Tag Archives: Navajo class

Navy

Christening of Navajo

The U.S. Navy christened the Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue ship, the future USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, August 26, in Houma, Louisiana.

USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6)
USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6) is the first in a class of new towing, salvage and rescue ships

The Honorable Arlando Teller, Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation, delivered the principal address. Remarks have also been provided by the Honorable Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment; Vice Admiral Craig Clapperton, commander, U.S. 10th Fleet; Rear Admiral Jeffrey Spivey, Deputy Commander, Military Sealift Command; Mister Justin Ahasteen, Executive Director, Navajo Nation Washington Office; and Mister Ben Bordelon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bollinger Shipyards. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Ms. Jocelyn Billy, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Billy is a member of the Navajo Nation, Miss Navajo Nation 2006, and is a strong advocate for Navajo Nation veterans.

The USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6) is the first ship in its class and will be operated by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The vessels will replace the existing Powhatan-class T-ATF fleet ocean tugs and Safeguard-class T-ARS rescue and salvage ships in service with the U.S. Military Sealift Command.

The Navajo-class is a new series of towing, salvage and rescue ships (T-ATS) being constructed for the U.S. Navy. The Navajo-class is a multi-mission common hull platform that will be deployed to support a range of missions such as towing, rescue, salvage, humanitarian assistance, oil spill response and wide-area search and surveillance operations using Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

Navy

Navajo-class

Austal Limited is pleased to announce that Austal USA has been awarded a US$71,706,745 (~A$104 million) fixed-price incentive contract option from the United States Navy for the construction of an additional Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS-15).

Navajo-class
Austal USA has been awarded a contract for an additional Towing, Salvage and Rescue ship (T-ATS-15) for the U.S. Navy (Image: U.S. Navy)

With the award, the company is now under contract for five T-ATS, having received awards for T-ATS-13 and T-ATS-14 in July 2022 and T-ATS-11 and T-ATS-12 in October 2021.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the contract award again highlights Austal USA’s growing steel shipbuilding capability, following the start of construction on T-ATS-11 and T-ATS-12, and more recently the Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium, for the United States Navy.

«Austal USA’s steel shipbuilding capabilities and capacity continues to impress, with three steel vessels now underway in Mobile, Alabama; in addition to the multiple aluminium vessels and component projects also under construction», Mr. Gregg said.

«In addition to the LCS, EPF and T-ATS programs, construction has just commenced on the steel Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium (AFDM), which will further demonstrate Austal USA’s capabilities and capacity to deliver large steel vessels for the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard».

«The Austal USA team are also delivering submarine modules for the Virginia-class submarines and aircraft elevators for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, so they are without doubt making a significant contribution to the United States’ defence industrial base».

T-ATS is an ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue ship designed to support the United States Navy’s fleet operations, with a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing heavy ships. The ships can support a variety of missions, including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue and surveillance.

With construction due to commence on T-ATS-13 and T-ATS-14 in the second half of CY2023, T-ATS-15 is scheduled to commence construction in the first half of CY2024, with delivery planned in late 2027.

Austal USA will utilize its proven ship manufacturing processes and innovative methods that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and moving assembly lines, all housed under the company’s state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility in Mobile, Alabama. This unique production capability continues to position Austal USA to meet the ongoing, growing demands of both the Navy and Coast Guard.

In addition to T-ATS, Austal USA is currently constructing the United States Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ships and has commenced construction of a 211-metre/692-foot steel Auxiliary Floating Drydock (Medium).

In May 2023 Austal USA was awarded a contract for the detail design and construction of up to 7 steel T-AGOS Ocean Surveillance Ships worth up to US$3.2 billion and in 2022, the company was awarded a contract for up to 11 steel Offshore Patrol Cutters for the United States Coast Guard, worth up to US $3.3 billion.

This ASX announcement has been approved and authorised for release by Paddy Gregg, Austal Limited’s Chief Executive Officer.

Navy

Keel Authenticated

The keel for the future USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8) was ceremonially laid at Bollinger Houma Shipyards, October 3.

USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8)
The keel for the future USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8) was ceremonially laid at Bollinger Houma Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, October 3. Rear Admiral Tom Anderson, Program Executive Officer, Ships joined the Honorable Theresa Peters Jackson, Chief of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe and other members of the tribe, as the keel was authenticated for their namesake ship

Named for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, the ship honors the original people of modern day Michigan and their proud tradition of service to their country. Ojibwe is also referred to as Chippewa and Anishinabek means «original people». The keel authenticator was the Honorable Theresa Peters Jackson, Chief of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe.

«This is an awesome Navy day as we gather to celebrate this multi-mission platform and the range of capabilities it will bring to the fleet, including towing, salvage, rescue, oil spill response and humanitarian assistance», said Rear Admiral Tom Anderson, Program Executive Officer, Ships. «It is an honor to be joined by members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe as the keel is authenticated for their namesake ship and we are excited to honor their heritage and commitment to service of country».

The Navajo class (T-ATS) provides ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. T-ATS replaces and fulfills the capabilities that were previously provided by the Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF-166) and Rescue and Salvage Ships (T-ARS-50) class ships.

In addition to USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8), Bollinger is constructing USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6) and USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS-7) and is under contract for USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS-9) and USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS-10).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

Navy

Ocean-going tug

Construction began on the Navy’s newest towing, salvage and rescue ship, T-ATS-11 at Austal USA’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard, July 11.

T-ATS-11
Start of Construction Marked for T-ATS-11

The Navajo-class (T-ATS) provides ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. T-ATS replaces and fulfills the capabilities that were previously provided by the Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF-166) and Rescue and Salvage Ships (T-ARS-50) class ships.

«It’s always a great Navy day when we start construction of a new ship to be used to do the Nation’s bidding», said Rear Admiral Tom Anderson, Program Executive Officer, Ships. «It’s an exceptional Navy day when the start of construction also marks the expansion of the shipbuilding industrial base, as it does today, as Austal puts its new facility to work building its very first steel ship, a Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship, T-ATS-11».

Navajo-class ships will be Multi Mission Common Hull Platforms based on commercial offshore Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels. T-ATS supports current missions including, but not limited to: towing, salvage, rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance and wide area search and surveillance. They also enable future rapid capability initiatives, supporting modular payloads with hotel services and appropriate interfaces.

T-ATS-11 marks the first steel ship in Austal’s ship construction program. Austal is also contracted to build T-ATS-12, with options for additional ships.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

Navy

Navy’s Towing Ship

Austal Limited is pleased to announce Austal USA has been awarded its first steel vessel construction contract by the United States Navy, a US$145 million (~A$198.5 million) build of two Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ships (T-ATS 11 and 12).

T-ATS
The United States Navy’s Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) to be constructed by Austal USA

The contract modification establishes options for up to three additional T-ATS ships, which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to US$385 million (~A$528.6 million).

Austal was initially awarded a US$3.6 million contract by the United States Navy for the functional design of the Navajo-class T-ATS vessels. Overnight awarded the US$145 million (~A$198.5 million) fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract modification, to include the detailed design and construction of two T-ATS 11 and 12, as well as the option for the additional ships.

The T-ATS contract is the first steel ship construction program awarded by the United States Navy to Austal USA and will be the first program to be delivered in the new steel shipbuilding facilities nearing completion at the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the contract was an exciting milestone in the history of the company and a great demonstration of the company’s new steel shipbuilding capabilities in the United States, following on from the successful addition of steel shipbuilding in Australia.

«This is great news for Austal USA as they enter a new era of steel shipbuilding in the United States, supporting the Navy’s requirements for steel ships», Mr. Gregg said.

The 80-metre/262.5-foot Navajo-class T-ATS has ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities, with a multi-mission common hull platform, capable of towing heavy ships. These ships will be able to support USN fleet operations and a variety of missions, including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, and wide area search and surveillance.

Austal USA will utilise its proven ship manufacturing processes and innovative methods that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction and moving assembly lines; using the company’s new state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility which is set to open in April 2022. Austal USA broke ground on its USD$100 million steel manufacturing facility in March 2020.

The T-ATS award is one of several steel shipbuilding programs Austal USA is pursuing as it diversifies its capabilities. The shipyard previously announced it had submitted a bid to build the United States Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter and continues to execute a Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) concept studies and preliminary design contract for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Austal USA’s new steel line and facility expansion also positions it well to be a follow-on Frigate yard for the United States Navy.

This ASX announcement has been approved and authorised for release by Patrick Gregg, Austal Limited’s Chief Executive Officer.

Navy

Cherokee Nation

A keel laying ceremony was held February 12 for the future USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS-7), the second ship of the Navy’s Navajo class of Towing, Salvage, and Rescue vessels. The ceremony was held near Gulf Island Shipyard at the Houma Terrebonne Civic Center.

An artist rendering of the future USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS-7) (U.S. Navy photo illustration by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Paul L. Archer/Released)

The keel laying ceremony formally marks the start of a ship’s life and the joining of the ship’s modular components. The keel serves as the symbolic backbone of the ship.

In attendance to authenticate the keel was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, The Honorable Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and the ship’s sponsor and Deputy Speaker of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, The Honorable Victoria Mitchell Vazquez.

During the ceremony, the keel authenticators etched their initials into the keel plate and declared it to be «truly and fairly laid».

«We are honored to have so many representatives of the Cherokee Nation in attendance to celebrate this early milestone», said Mike Kosar, support ships, boats and craft program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The ship is critical to the operations of our fleet, and will soon sail with the pride and determination of the Cherokee people, which it is named to honor».

The Navajo-class will provide ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. The current capabilities are provided by three T-ATF 166 and two T-ARS 50 class ships, several of which will reach the end of their expected service lives later this year.

Navajo-class ships will be capable of towing U.S. Navy ships and will have 6,000 square feet/557 square meters of deck space for embarked systems. The platform will be 263 feet/80 meters long, have a beam of 59 feet/18 meters, and can carry a load of nearly 2,000 tons.

In addition to the future USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS-7), Gulf Island Shipyard is constructing the future USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6) and is under contract for the detail design and construction of the future USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, sealift ships, support ships, boats, and craft.