Austal USA secures $71M contract for additional Navajo-Class rescue ship from US Navy.

According to a PR published by Austal USA on June 18, 2023, the firm 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).
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Artist rendering of the Navajo class rescue and salvage ship USNS Navajo. (Picture source: US DoD)

Austal Limited CEO, Paddy Gregg, commended Austal USA's expanding steel shipbuilding proficiency, evidenced by the underway construction of T-ATS 11 and 12, and the recent Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium.

Austal USA currently boasts three steel vessels under construction in Mobile, Alabama, alongside numerous aluminium vessels and component projects. The team is also handling submarine modules for Virginia-class submarines and aircraft elevators for Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, contributing significantly to the U.S. defence industrial base.

The T-ATS ships, functioning as ocean-going tugs, salvage, and rescue ships, aid in the U.S. Navy's fleet operations with their multi-mission common hull platform. Besides towing heavy ships, they can be used for oil spill responses, humanitarian aid, search and rescue, and surveillance missions.

The vessels have a displacement of 5,110 long tons (5,190 t). Her length measures 263 ft (80 m), while its beam spans 59 ft (18 m). They have a draft of 17.7 ft (5.4 m) and a depth of 24.6 ft (7.5 m). Her propulsion system consists of two Wartsila 8L32 diesel engines, each generating 6,308 horsepower.

The Navajo class vessel can reach a speed of 15.1 knots (28.0 km/h; 17.4 mph). It has an impressive range of 8,170 nautical miles (15,130 km; 9,400 mi). The vessel requires a complement of 42 sailors to operate effectively.

The construction of T-ATS 13 and 14 will start in the second half of 2023, while T-ATS 15's construction is slated for the first half of 2024, with a projected delivery in late 2027.

Austal USA plans to leverage its tried-and-tested ship manufacturing techniques and innovative approaches, including lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and moving assembly lines, all within their state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility in Mobile, Alabama.

In addition to T-ATS, Austal USA is also constructing the U.S. Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships, Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport ships, and a 211-meter steel Auxiliary Floating Drydock (Medium).

In 2023, Austal USA won a contract for the detailed design and construction of up to 7 steel T-AGOS Ocean Surveillance Ships, valued at up to $3.2 billion. The company was also awarded a contract in 2022 for up to 11 steel Offshore Patrol Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard, worth up to $3.3 billion.