US Navy launches oceanographic survey ship USNS Robert Ballard

April 30, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The US Navy has launched the oceanographic survey ship, the future USNS Robert Ballard (T-AGS 67), during a ceremony at the Bollinger Shipyard in Pascagoula.

Credit: Naval Oceanographic Office via Facebook

The milestone was achieved on April 21-22, when the oceanographic survey ship was launched for the first time.

Up to this stage, Ballard had been assembled on rail cars positioned along a ground-level concrete slab, with tracks guiding the structure toward the water. To transfer the vessel from land to sea, two crawler cranes were used in tandem, applying force through a push beam attached to the final railcar supporting the hull.

The cranes gradually pushed the ship along the rails until it reached what is known as a BMR Dock. Once the vessel was fully positioned on the dock, the entire structure was moved from the launch pier to its permanent mooring location with Ballard secured onboard.

At high tide, the BMR Dock was carefully submerged, allowing the vessel to float free for the first time and marking a key milestone in its construction.

Oceanographic survey ships have two multipurpose cranes and five winches, plus a variety of oceanographic equipment, including multibeam echo-sounders, towed sonars, and expendable sensors. They support worldwide oceanographic programs by collecting crucial data on the physical, biological, acoustic, and geophysical properties of the world’s oceans.

These survey ships use advanced multibeam sonar systems and other precision sensing equipment to chart large areas of the ocean floor.

To remind, the vessel was christened in February this year.