Photo courtesy of: Bollinger Shipyards

Built in 2023, by the Bollinger Shipyards LLC of Houma, Louisiana (hull #6111) as the T-ATS (USNS Navajo) for the United States Navy.

She is the lead ship of the Navy’s new Navajo-class of towing, salvage and rescue (T-ATS) ships. The new Navajo class of U.S. Navy towing, salvage and rescue ships is named in recognition of the tribe and the Diné people, and their many contributions to the U.S. military and the country’s defense.

The Navajo-class is a multi-mission common hull platform that will be deployed to support a range of missions such as towing, rescue, salvage, humanitarian assistance, oil spill response and wide-area search and surveillance operations using unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The vessels will replace the existing Powhatan-class T-ATF fleet ocean tugs and Safeguard-class T-ARS rescue and salvage ships in service with the US Military Sealift Command.

Her keel was laid in October 2019. She was launched in May 2023.

Powered by two, Wärtsilä 8L32, diesel engines. She is a twin screw tug rated at 12,600 horsepower.