Keel laid for US Navy towing and salvage ship Solomon Atkinson

Austal USA laid the keel of the future US Navy towing, salvage and rescue ship (T-ATS) USNS Solomon Atkinson in a ceremony on Wednesday, April 16.

The newest Navajo-class T-ATS honours the late Solomon Atkinson, a US Navy veteran and member of the Metlakatla Indian Community. A decorated navy SEAL who saw action during the Vietnam War, Atkinson later became Mayor of Metlakatla, Alaska.

The ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue ships will be designed to support the navy's fleet operations. Each T-ATS will have a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing heavy ships.

The vessels will be capable of supporting a variety of missions including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and surveillance.

The T-ATS will have 6,000 square feet (600 square metres) of deck space for embarked systems. A large, unobstructed deck will allow for the embarkation of a variety of stand-alone and interchangeable systems.

The future Solomon Atkinson is one of three T-ATS vessels under construction at Austal USA with two more under contract.