The United States Navy has announced a contract for seven auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship T-AGOS 25 Class to be manufactured by Austal USA in a deal cumulatively worth US$3.2 billion.

T-AGOS ships are operated by United States Military Sealift Command and support anti-submarine warfare using passive and active anti-submarine acoustic surveillance.

The 110-metre steel “small waterplane area twin hull” vessels support the Navy’s Integrated Undersea Surveillance System by gathering underwater acoustical data using Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System equipment.

Austal Limited chief executive officer Paddy Gregg said the T-AGOS contract adds to Austal USA’s growing portfolio of steel shipbuilding programs and is a further demonstration of the US government’s trust in Austal USA’s capabilities.

“T-AGOS is a unique auxiliary naval platform that plays an integral role in supporting Navy’s anti-submarine warfare mission. Austal USA is honoured to be selected to deliver this critical capability for the Navy, utilising our advanced manufacturing processes, state-of-the-art steel shipbuilding facilities, and our growing team of shipbuilders,” he said.

“The T-AGOS contract is a clear acknowledgment of Austal’s capabilities in steel naval shipbuilding, that includes the Navy’s towing, salvage and rescue (T-ATS) ships, an auxiliary floating drydock medium (AFDM), and the US Coast Guards’ offshore patrol cutters.

“These four steel naval shipbuilding projects, and our continuing successful delivery of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship and Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport programs, are positioning Austal USA exceptionally well to meet the growing demands of the US Navy and Coast Guard,” Gregg said.

Prime contractor Austal USA will team with L3Harris Technologies, Noise Control Engineering, TAI Engineering, and Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to deliver the TAGOS-25 program, from the company’s new steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Alabama.

Utilising proven, advanced manufacturing processes and innovative production techniques that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and moving assembly lines, the company is also delivering multiple naval shipbuilding programs and sub-contracted projects including the delivery of two more Independence-variant littoral combat ships, three more Spearhead Class expeditionary fast transports, four Navajo Class towing, salvage and rescue, up to 11 Heritage Class offshore patrol cutters for the US Coast Guard, an auxiliary floating dock medium, elevators for the Gerald R Ford Class aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and command modules for Virginia Class submarines.