The US Navy has christened the latest Navajo-class ocean-going tugs, with the USNS Billy Frank Jr one of a planned class of ten Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) due to be delivered into service.

According to the US Navy, the current capabilities are provided by Powhatan-class T-ATF fleet tugs and Safeguard-class T-ARS rescue and salvage vessels, which began to reach the end of their expected service lives in 2020.

The TAT-S Navajo-class ships will be capable of towing US Navy ships and will have 6,000ft² of deck space for embarked systems.

The T-ATS 6 Navajo class will be comprised of ten vessels, all awarded for construction.

General characteristics, Navajo class

Bollinger Houma Shipyard was placed on contract for the USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7), USNS Saginax Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS 8), USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS 9) and USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS 10). The projected delivery for T-ATS 6 is in FY 2026, with follow-on Bollinger ships delivering each subsequent financial year.

Austal USA was awarded a follow-on Detail Design and Construction contract for the construction of T-ATS 11 through 15, with construction underway of USNS Billy Frank Jr (T-ATS 11), USNS Solomon Atkinson (T-ATS 12), and USNS James D. Fairbanks (T-ATS 13). 

USNS Narragansett (T-ATS 14) and T-ATS 15 (name TBD) are under contract. The projected delivery for T-ATS 11 is mid-FY 2026, with follow-on Austal ships delivering each subsequent FY.

The projected delivery for USNS was initially set for early FY 2025, with one more ship delivering in FY 2025, and two ships delivering in FY 2026.

The Navajo-class ships offer a multi-mission, common hull platform that will deploy to support a range of missions such as towing, rescue, salvage, humanitarian assistance, oil spill response, and wide-area search and surveillance, according to the US Navy.