Austal nets US Navy T-AGOS surveillance ships contract
A rendering of Austal's T-AGOS design. (Image: Austal USA)
The Alabama-based shipyard has received a $113 million contract for detail design of the USN’s Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 class.
Options under the contract for constructing up to seven ships bring its cumulative potential value to $3.195 billion.
Operated by Military Sealift Command (MSC), T-AGOS ships support anti-submarine warfare operations by offering passive and active acoustic surveillance capabilities.
Related Articles
Austal Australia converts patrol boat into unmanned vessel
Netherlands to arm ships and submarines with Tomahawk missiles
US Navy anti-sub exercise puts crewed-uncrewed teaming to the test
The 110m steel ‘small waterplane area twin hull’ (SWATH) vessels measure 110m long and gather data using Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) equipment.
The award is the latest steel shipbuilding contract for Austal USA, which also builds the USN’s Towing, Salvage and Rescue (T-ATS) ships and Auxiliary Floating Drydock Medium (AFDM).
The company is also building the USCG's Heritage-class offshore patrol cutters (OPCs).
Austal USA has teamed with L3Harris, Noise Control Engineering, TAI Engineering and Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to deliver T-AGOS ships from its facility in Mobile, Alabama.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Red Cat expands its manufacturing capacities to surge production of UAVs and USVs
The company has invested $80 million to enhance its facilities and establish a new maritime division.
-
How powerful is the US fleet of nuclear submarines compared to Russian capabilities?
Although both countries still operate Cold War-era platforms, they possess capable nuclear-powered and armed submarines and are investing in the development of new, advanced capabilities.
-
Royal Australian Navy’s plan for fleet refresh continues in the face of headwinds
Australia has selected the Mogami-class frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to replace Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigates. The decision has been made as the RAN pushes to introduce delayed offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), awaits criticised Hunter-class ships and lives in the shadow of threats to the Collins-class submarine replacement efforts.