Austal USA to Build The 5th Navajo Class T-ATS Ship For The US Navy

The Austal USA shipyard has been awarded a $71.7 million flat-price incentive contract option from the US Navy for the construction of an additional T-ATS (Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship) Navajo class.

Now the company is under contract for five T-ATS, having received awards for T-ATS 11 and 12 in October 2021, T-ATS 13 and 14 in July 2022, and now T-ATS 15.

The T-ATS is a tug, rescue, and sea rescue vessel designed to support the operations of the US Navy's fleet and capable of towing even heavy vessels.

The vessels can support a variety of missions, including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and surveillance.

With construction to begin on T-ATS 13 and 14 in the second half of 2023, T-ATS 15 is scheduled to start construction in the first half of 2024, with delivery planned for late 2027.

Austal USA will leverage its shipbuilding process with innovative methods that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and mobile assembly lines.

All building processes are housed under the company's state-of-the-art closed steel production facility in Mobile, Alabama.

In addition to the T-ATS, Austal USA is currently building the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) of the Independence variant and the Spearhead class EFT (Expeditionary Fast Transport) ship, and it has started construction of the Auxiliary Floating Drydock (AFD).