Navajo-class rescue and salvage ship explained

The Navajo class is a class of Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ships for the Military Sealift Command of the United States Navy. They were ordered in 2017 as the planned replacement for the aging s and s. A total of ten ships of the class have been planned and none have yet to be put in service.

Development

Eight ships of the class were planned to replace the aging s and s. They were ordered in 2017 and on 16 March 2018 Gulf Island Fabrication was chosen to construct them. On 26 March 2020, an additional two ships were ordered by the navy. On 19 April 2021, Gulf Island announced that they had sold the contract along with the shipyard to Bollinger Shipyards.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Ships in class

Navajo-class construction data!Name!Namesake!Hull number!Builder!Laid down!Launched!Delivered!Active!Status!References

	Navajo Nation	T-ATS-6	Gulf Island Fabrication	30 October 2019	24 May 2023			Under construction	^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8]
	Cherokee Nation	T-ATS-7		12 February 2020				Under construction	^[9]
	Saginaw Chippewa Tribe	T-ATS-8		3 October 2022^[10]				Under construction	^[11]
	Lenape Nation	T-ATS-9	Bollinger Shipyards					Under construction	^[12]
	Muscogee Nation	T-ATS-10						Under construction	^[13]
	Billy Frank Jr.	T-ATS-11	Austal USA^[14]	14 November 2023				Under construction	^[15] ^[16]
	Solomon Atkinson	T-ATS-12						Under construction
	James D. Fairbanks	T-ATS-13						Under construction	^[17]
		T-ATS-14						Ordered	^[18] ^[19]
Unnamed		T-ATS-15						Ordered

External links

• Navsource

Notes and References

1. Gulf Island Announces Sale of Shipyard Division Assets and Long-Term Contracts . Gulf Island Fabrication . 19 April 2021. 22 April 2021.
2. News: US Navy orders further two Navajo-class towing and salvage ships . Defense Brief . 26 March 2020 . 17 February 2021.
3. News: Burgess . Richard R. . Navy Orders Two More Navajo-Class Towing, Salvage, Rescue Ships . Seapower . 26 March 2020 . 17 February 2021.
4. News: US Navy exercises option for additional two Navajo-class ships . Naval Today . 9 April 2020 . 17 February 2021.
5. Web site: Navy Names Future Vessel to Honor Muscogee Creek Nation . 2023-12-01 . United States Navy . en-US.
6. Keel Laid for First-in-Class T-ATS . United States Navy . 31 October 2019 . 17 February 2021.
7. News: Vavasseur . Xavier . 27 May 2023 . US Navy's First Navajo-class T-ATS launched by Bollinger . Naval News . 27 May 2023.
8. Web site: Navy to Christen Future USNS Navajo . 2023-12-01 . U.S. Department of Defense . en-US.
9. Keel Laid for Future USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7) . Naval Sea Systems Command . 13 February 2020 . 17 February 2021.
10. Keel Authenticated for the Future USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek . United States Navy . 5 October 2022 . 6 October 2022.
11. Web site: Keel Authenticated for the Future USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek . 2023-12-01 . United States Navy . en-US.
12. Web site: SECNAV Names Future Vessels while aboard Historic Navy Ship . 2023-12-01 . www.navy.mil.
13. News: Bahtić . Fatima . 8 March 2023 . Bollinger kicks off construction of US Navy’s T-ATS 10 . Naval Today . 10 March 2023.
14. News: Navy awards Austal USA $144.6 million two-ship T-ATS contract . Marine Log . 5 October 2021.
15. Web site: Staff . Seapower . 2023-11-14 . Keel Authenticated for Future Billy Frank Jr. . 2023-11-15 . Seapower . en-US.
16. News: Bahtić . Fatima . 1 February 2023 . Austal kicks off construction of US Navy's T-ATS 12 . Naval Today . 7 February 2023.
17. SECNAV Del Toro Names Ship in Honor of Force Master Chief Petty Officer of the Seabees James D. Fairbanks . 2024-02-24 . www.navy.mil.
18. Web site: Fleet Ocean Tugs T-ATS . 2023-12-01 . United States Navy . en-US.
19. SECNAV Names Ship in Honor of Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island. United States Navy. 18 June 2024. 19 June 2024.