Austal USA to Design New T-ATS for the US Navy

MarineLink June 7, 2021

The Navajo-class (T-ATS) Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship for the US Navy (Image: US Navy)

Austal USA said it has been awarded a $3.6 million functional design contract to prepare for construction of the new Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) for the U.S. Navy.

The Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder will prepare a functional design for the T-ATS, an 80-meter steel monohull vessel with multimission capability to support a variety of towing, salvage, search and rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance and surveillance activities. The T-ATS can also embark containerized systems including cyber, electronic warfare, and decoy and surveillance packages.

The initial contract to build T-ATS vessels was awarded to Gulf Island Fabrication in 2018, but Bollinger Shipyards took over the deal with its purchase of Gulf Island's shipyard earlier this year.

For Austal USA, the T-ATS functional design contract is its first contract for the development of steel ships for the U.S. Navy, noted Paddy Gregg, CEO of parent company Austal Limited.

“In June 2020, Austal announced our intention to invest approximately $100 million in steel shipbuilding capability at Mobile, Ala., cofunded by the United States government. In March 2021, the Austal USA team broke ground on new steel shipbuilding facilities and now, we have received the first contract to design the steel-hulled Navajo-class T-ATS ships for the United States Navy,” Gregg said.

“Austal USA is now well on the path to delivering steel ships for the United States Navy and we couldn’t be prouder of the hardworking team in Mobile, Ala.; now the fifth largest shipyard in the United States.”

The company said it will define detailed requirements to construct, test and deliver T-ATS ships in accordance with U.S. government ship specifications.

Austal USA is currently delivering the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (T-EPF) programs for the U.S. Navy. Thirteen LCS and 12 EPF vessels have been delivered from the Austal’s Mobile Alabama shipyard since 2009.