Austal USA has signed a contract with Master Boat Builders to fabricate modules for the US Navy Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue ship (T-ATS) program. This agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two firms in late 2025 to distribute production across the domestic shipbuilding industrial base.
Master Boat Builders is expected to provide specialized fabrication services for the vessels, which are designed for open-ocean towing and salvage operations according to an Austal statement.
By distributing module fabrication to a qualified yard on the Gulf Coast, the company aims to expand throughput and reduce schedule risks.
Master Boat Builders will construct two hull modules at its shipyard in Coden, Alabama, which is situated approximately 30 minutes from the Mobile facility of Austal USA. These components will be built to the production design and specifications of the primary contractor before being transported for final assembly.
The T-ATS program serves to replace aging fleet ocean tugs with a modern platform capable of assisting with humanitarian and disaster response. Austal USA has already launched the first two 263-foot (80.16 metres) ships in the program.