U.S. Navy Fact Sheet

Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research Vessel - AGOR

Description
The Neil Armstrong Class AGOR 27 ships will be modern mono-hull research vessels based on a commercial design, capable of integrated, interdisciplinary, general purpose oceanographic research in coastal and deep ocean areas.

Background
The detail design and construction of AGOR 27 was competitively awarded to Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., October 14, 2011; the option for the construction of AGOR 28 was exercised February 3, 2012. The two ships will be built in Anacortes, Washington, with delivery of AGOR 27 expected in late 2014 and AGOR 28 in early 2015.


The Navy currently owns six of the nation’s largest oceanographic research ships, which support critical naval research in forward deployed areas of the world’s oceans, as well as the needs of other federal agencies. A major segment of the U.S. research fleet is now approaching the end of its service life and is in need of replacement. The Neil Armstrong Class AGOR ships will be a well-equipped modern oceanographic research platforms capable of satisfying a wide range of research activities conducted by academic institutions and national laboratories involved in oceanographic research.


The ships will be U.S. flagged and manned by commercial crews. The two ships will be owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) upon delivery to the Government. ONR has competitively selected two institutions to operate the ships under renewable charter-party agreements. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will operate the lead ship (AGOR 27); Scripps Institution of Oceanography will operate the second ship (AGOR 28).


The Neil Armstrong Class ships will be outfitted with a multi-drive low-voltage diesel electric propulsion systems. This upgraded system will help maintain efficiency while lowering maintenance and fuel costs. The Neil Armstrong Class will also feature a modern suite of oceanographic equipment, including state of the art acoustic equipment capable of mapping the deepest parts of the oceans, advanced over-the-side handling gear to deploy and retrieve scientific instruments, emissions controls for stack gasses, and new information technology tools both for monitoring shipboard systems and for communicating with the land-based sites worldwide. These enhanced modular onboard laboratories and extensive science payload capacity will provide the ships with the flexibility to meet a wide variety of oceanographic research challenges in the coming decades.