Austal wins contract for the new Navajo-class ship.

According to a press release published by Austal Limited on June 6, 2021, the firm is pleased to announce that Austal USA has been awarded a US$3.6 million functional design contract to prepare for the construction of the new Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) for the United States Navy.
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Artist rendering of the new Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship T-ATS (Picture source: US Navy)

Austal USA will prepare a functional design for the T-ATS, an 80-meter steel monohull vessel with the multi-mission 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 on containerized systems including cyber, electronic warfare, and decoy and surveillance packages.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the T-ATS functional design contract is Austal USA’s first contract for the development of steel ships for the United States Navy and marks another major milestone in the continuing evolution of the Mobile, Alabama shipyard.

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

The Navajo class is a class of Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ships of the United States Navy. They were ordered in 2017 as the planned replacement for the aging Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ships and Powhatan-class tugboats. The lead ship of the first batch of six ships was laid down in 2019. Two additional ships were ordered in 2020.