An illustration of Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 class ocean surveillance ships. Image courtesy Austal USA
The U.S. Navy has announced the naming of its newest class of ocean surveillance ships, designating them as the Explorer class, with the first two vessels honoring renowned deep-sea explorers Don Walsh and Victor Vescovo.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro made the announcement during a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy, revealing that the future USNS Don Walsh (T-AGOS 25) and USNS Victor Vescovo (T-AGOS 26) will lead a planned fleet of seven new surveillance vessels.
“These ships are essential to maintaining strategic deterrence and operational awareness in the world’s oceans,” Del Toro emphasized during the ceremony.
The naming honors two remarkable pioneers in ocean exploration. Captain Don Walsh, who passed away in November 2023, made history in 1960 by piloting the bathyscaphe Trieste to Challenger Deep, reaching a depth of 35,797 feet. Commander Victor Vescovo, a retired naval intelligence officer, currently holds the world record for the deepest crewed vessel dive to Challenger Deep and notably completed the Five Deeps challenge.
The Explorer-class vessels will feature an innovative steel small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) design, measuring 356 feet in length with an 8,500-ton displacement. The ships are expected to play a crucial role in the Navy’s antisubmarine warfare operations, equipped with advanced underwater surveillance systems including SURTASS equipment.
Joan Walsh and Liz Walsh will serve as sponsors for the USNS Don Walsh, while Victoria Vescovo Webster will sponsor her brother’s namesake vessel.
The ships will be operated by the Military Sealift Command and are designed to achieve speeds up to 20 knots while accommodating 68 personnel.
Australian shipbuilder Austal, through its U.S. subsidiary Austal USA, secured a $516 million contract to build the first T-AGOS 25 ocean surveillance ship for the U.S. Navy in May 2024. An initial $113.9 million contract covered detailed design work, with options for up to seven ships. The total contract could reach $3.20 billion if all options are exercised.
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