Austal USA launches first steel ship from Mobile facility
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Austal USA has launched its heaviest ship to date, unveiling the company’s first steel ship out in Mobile.
The T-ATS 11, titled the USNS Billy Frank Jr., will serve as a Navy towing, salvage and rescue ship. It weighs 3,100 metric tons—or 6.8 million pounds.
“It was amazing to see the flawless rollout of our first steel ship. 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.”
Harley Combs, vice president of surface ship programs
USNS Billy Frank Jr.
The ship is named after Billy Frank Jr., a native American Korean War veteran who, as an activist, fought for justice and environmental preservation in the Northwest United States. He died in 2014 but was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
The USNS Billy Frank Jr. will combine the capabilities of the retiring Rescue and Salvage Ship (T-ARS 50) and Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF 166) platforms.
T-ATS will be able to support current missions including:
- Towing
- Salvage
- Rescue
- Oil spill response
- Humanitarian assistance
- Wide-area search and surveillance
The platform also enables future rapid capability initiatives such as supporting modular payloads with hotel services and appropriate interfaces.
Austal says T-ATS will be a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing U.S. Navy ships and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems.
The large, unobstructed deck allows for the embarkation of a variety of stand-alone and interchangeable systems.
The T-ATS 11 is one of 3 salvage ships under construction at Austal USA and the first steel product of the company’s state-of-the-art automated steel panel line.
On June 14, the launch was executed using the same proven process used to launch most of the 32 Navy ships the company has built and delivered to the Navy over the last 15 years.
With the ship over 85 percent complete at the time of launch, the future USNS Billy Frank Jr. will now prepare for her next major milestone, engine light off, as she gets ready for sea trials and delivery.
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