Navy Finalizes Order for Pathfinder-Class Oceanographic Survey Ship

The U.S. Military Sealift Command’s oceanographic survey ship USNS *Maury* (T-AGS-66) pulls into Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 2 November 2017. *U.S. NAVY / Bill Mesta*

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has awarded a contract for the completion of a modified Pathfinder-class oceanographic research ship for the Military Sealift Command.

The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Halter Marine a $149 million fixed-price incentive contract modification “for the detail design and construction of one oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67),” according to a Defense Department contract announcement.

Halter Marine was awarded an earlier contract in November 2018 for functional design engineering, procurement of long-lead-time material and limited advanced production of the ship.

Six Pathfinder-class ships were delivered from 1994 to 2001 to operate in an oceanographic survey-support capacity, gathering underwater data in the deep ocean and coastal waters. A seventh, the USNS Maury, was delivered in February 2016. The Maury is 25 feet longer than its sister ships and is equipped with a moon pool for operating unmanned underwater vehicles. The USNS Sumner (T-AGS 61) was inactivated in August 2014 and transferred to the Maritime Administration.