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Mobile shipyard is making waves for the U.S. Navy
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Austal USA passed a few milestones last Saturday, bringing new innovation to the United States Navy by launching its first T-ATS 11 steel ship.
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According to an Austal USA press release, the towing, salvage, and rescue vessel is 1 of 3 under construction, with plans to build 5 in total.
'It was amazing to see the flawless rollout of our first steel ship,' said Surface Ship Programs Vice President, Harley Combs. 'The completion of this milestone is the result of the hard work and dedication of our talented workforce. I am so proud of all they have accomplished.'
The vessel was named after activist and Native American war veteran, Billy Frank Jr. who fought for justice and environmental preservation in the Northwest United States, the release said.
The 3,100 metric tons ship is the heaviest ship to date and will be used as multi-mission common hull platform that can tow U.S. Navy ships. The Ship also has 6,000 square feet of deck space which allows for stand-alone and interchangeable systems.
The USNS Billy Frank Jr. can support towing, salvage, rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, wide-area search and surveillance. The ship was launched using the same process used to build most of the 32 Navy ships Austal has built over 15 years.
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At launch, The Billy Frank Jr. was 85% complete. The ship is now preparing for engine light off and sea trials.
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