US Navy’s Pathfinder class oceanographic survey ship, USNS Maury (T-AGS 66), completed Acceptance Trials on November 6, following a week of ship tests and underway events.
The T-AGS 66 Acceptance Trials, the final evaluation of the ship prior to delivery, included testing of major propulsion, auxiliary, damage control and deck systems.
Designed to perform acoustic, biological, physical, and geophysical surveys, T-AGS 66 will provide the U.S. military with essential information on the ocean environment. The vessel is 107 meters in length, with an overall beam of 17.6 meters. USNS Maury is 7 meters longer than the previous T-AGS design, which accommodates a moon pool for deployment and retrieval of autonomous underwater vehicles.
T-AGS 66 is named in honor of Cmdr. Matthew Fontaine Maury, nicknamed “Pathfinder of the Seas,” and also known as the “Father of Modern Oceanography.” Scheduled for delivery in early 2016, USNS Maury will be operated by the Military Sealift Command.
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Image: NavSource