BMT, Philly Shipyard to Conduct U.S. Navy T-AGOS(X) Studies
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT said it has been awarded a contract to conduct industry studies to advance the design of the next generation of U.S. Navy Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOS(X)).
The industry studies address technical solutions and design tradeoffs, provide recommendations to improve producibility and affordability, and include technical reviews of the Navy’s evolving ship design, said prime contractor BMT, who will partner with U.S. shipbuilder Philly Shipyard for the project.
The industry studies are the precursor for the future detail design and construction (DD&C) contract to replace the existing ocean surveillance ships that gather underwater acoustical data. The T-AGOS ships are operated by Military Sealift Command to support the anti-submarine warfare mission of the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. Upon completion of the industry studies, bidders will compete for the DD&C contract. A contract award for the DD&C of the first vessel, plus options for up to six additional vessels, is anticipated in 2022, with ship delivery scheduled for 2025.
T-AGOS capabilities emphasize gathering and processing of undersea acoustic data, which is crucial to tracking submarines. The unique SWATH (small waterplane area twin-hull) hull form offers high stability at slow speeds and in adverse weather conditions.
BMT’s 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. BMT’s ModCat semi-SWATH hull form has also been employed in ocean-going ferries and more recently in offshore wind farm support vessels (WFSVs).
Philly Shipyard is currently participating in industry studies for three U.S. government shipbuilding programs, including the T-AGOS program as well as one supporting the U.S. Navy’s Common Hull Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) program and another supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program.
