Supporting the US Navy with ship design studies
The US Navy recently commissioned BMT to conduct industry studies to advance the design of the next generation of US Navy Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOS(X)).
The US Navy recently commissioned BMT to conduct industry studies to advance the design of the next generation of US Navy Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOS(X)).
The vessels that conduct ocean surveillance and support submarine operations will replace five current ships scheduled to retire beginning 2026.
The ships will be designed to meet the future fleet needs of the modern U.S. Navy, collecting undersea acoustic data through towed sensor arrays. This data will be processed and transmitted via satellite to shore stations to support submarine operations and tracking. The new ships will have at least a 30-year service life.
Requested requirements for the new ships will see increased ship sprint speed, improved crew safety and mission operations in higher sea states, and increased crew size and enhanced accommodations.
The studies will address technical solutions and design tradeoffs, provide recommendations to improve producibility and affordability, and include technical reviews of the Navy’s evolving ship design. We, as the Prime Contractor, are partnering with Philly Shipyard.
The unique SWATH (small waterplane area twin-hull) hull form offers high stability at slow speeds and in adverse weather conditions.
Our portfolio includes multiple SWATH and semi-SWATH hull forms, including the U.S. Navy’s SEA FIGHTER (FSF-1), used as a testbed for advanced ship design and innovation. Our ModCat™ semi-SWATH hull form has also been employed in ocean-going ferries and, more recently, in offshore wind farm support vessels (WFSVs).
“This vessel class and the operational capability it contains form an important element of our nation’s maritime strategy,”
Commented Kai Skvarla, President of BMT’s U.S. defence business:
The project is an exciting engineering and design opportunity that will be rewarding for our design team.”
On completion of the industry studies, a separate T-AGOS(X) Lead ship Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) contract award is planned in FY22, with ship delivery scheduled for FY25.