The first-of-class auxiliary general oceanographic research
(AGOR) vessel R/V Neil Armstrong, constructed at the Anacortes, Washington
shipyard Dakota Creek Industries, has successfully completed acceptance trials,
the US Navy reported Aug. 27.
The R/V Neil Armstrong is a modern
mono-hull research vessel capable of integrated, interdisciplinary, general-purpose
oceanographic research in coastal and deep ocean areas.
The Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) found the
ship to be “well-built and inspection-ready” after the trials evaluated the
ship’s major systems and equipment, including demonstrations of the ship’s main
propulsion system, dynamic positioning system, navigation, cranes and winches
and communication systems.
Acceptance trials represent the cumulative efforts following
a series of in-port and underway inspections conducted jointly by builder
Dakota Creek Industries and government agencies throughout the construction,
test and trials process. The trials are the last significant shipbuilding
milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy, which is expected to occur
this fall.
Neil Armstrong Class AGOR vessels are 238 feet long and
incorporate the latest technologies, including high-efficiency diesel engines,
emissions controls for stack gasses and new information technology tools both
for monitoring shipboard systems and for communicating.
These ships are expected to provide scientists with the
tools and capabilities to support ongoing research including in the western
Pacific and other regions across a variety of missions.
The R/V Neil Armstrong will be operated
by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under a charter party agreement with the Office of Naval Research. It will have a crew of 20, with accommodations for 24
scientists.
