Explorer-class surveillance ship

Class overview
NameExplorer class
BuildersAustal USA, Mobile, Alabama
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byImpeccable class
Cost
  • US$789.6 million for first ship (FY2025)
  • US$3.2 billion for 7 ships (FY2023)[1]
Planned6
Building0
Completed0
Cancelled0
Active0
General characteristics
Displacement8,500 tons
Length356 ft (109 m)
Crew68
Sensors and
processing systems		SURTASS passive and active low frequency sonar arrays

The Explorer-class ocean surveillance ship is a planned class of United States Navy special mission-support ship. Also known as the T-AGOS 25 program, the ships are planned to replace five other ocean surveillance ships and is speculated to be in response to modernized submarines from Russia and China.[2] The ships will be SWATH catamarans, and carry SURTASS towed array sonar for anti-submarine warfare,[1] as well as collecting acoustic data for the IUSS submarine detection system.[2]

History

On 18 May 2023, the navy awarded US$3.2 billion to the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama to construct seven Explorer-class vessels. On May 30, 2024, the Navy awarded an additional $516 million to account for cost growth on the procurement of the first ship.[1] On 10 January 2025, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro named the first two ships the USNS Don Walsh (T-AGOS 25) and the USNS Victor Vescovo (T-AGOS 26) after undersea explorers Don Walsh and Victor Vescovo, both whom dove to the deepest known point on Earth's seabed, Challenger Deep.[3]

Similar ship classes

The Explorer class is similar in construction to the earlier Victorious and the Impeccable-class ocean surveillance ships, with all three classes of ship using SWATH type hulls. The Explorer class is designed to replace both classes of ship.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c O'Rourke, Ronald (24 December 2024). "Navy TAGOS-25 Ocean Surveillance Shipbuilding Program:Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b "TAGOS-25 Class Ocean Surveillance Ships, USA". Naval Technology. Naval Technology. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  3. ^ "SECNAV Del Toro Names T-AGOS Explorer-Class and First Two Ships". United States Navy. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  4. ^ Abdi, Zach (11 January 2024). "Austal USA Showcases T-AGOS 25 Model for the First Time". Austal USA. Retrieved 10 January 2025.


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