Impeccable class ocean surveillance ship
Encyclopedia
The Impeccable-class ocean-surveillance ship is a single ship class of United States Navy
special mission-support ship
. The original intention was to build six undersea ocean-surveillance ships carrying a SURTASS passive towed array and a Low Frequency Active transducer array. Only the lead ship, , was built.
. The keel was laid on March 15, 1992. However, before the ship was completed, Tampa Shipyards went bankrupt, and construction of the rest of the ship class was cancelled. The Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy
asserted the requirement to finish the initial ship. The incomplete hull was towed to Gulfport
, Mississippi
in 1995, where it was completed by Halter Marine Inc. The Impeccable was officially launched on November 1, 2000.
A second ship, the USNS Integrity (T-AGOS-24), was planned. However, the contract was never awarded,. and the other four ships were never named.
. Both classes are SWATH type ships.
The ships perform a similar surveillance function to the older 18 ship Stalwart class
, whose lead ship is the USNS Stalwart (T-AGOS-1). The Stalwart class is not a SWATH hull, but a modified ocean going tug.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
special mission-support ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
. The original intention was to build six undersea ocean-surveillance ships carrying a SURTASS passive towed array and a Low Frequency Active transducer array. Only the lead ship, , was built.
History
On March 28, 1991, Tampa Shipyards was awarded the contract to build the first ship of the class, the USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23)USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23)
USNS Impeccable is an Impeccable-class ocean surveillance ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 2001 and assigned to Military Sealift Command’s Special Missions Program.-Construction:...
. The keel was laid on March 15, 1992. However, before the ship was completed, Tampa Shipyards went bankrupt, and construction of the rest of the ship class was cancelled. The Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
asserted the requirement to finish the initial ship. The incomplete hull was towed to Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
in 1995, where it was completed by Halter Marine Inc. The Impeccable was officially launched on November 1, 2000.
A second ship, the USNS Integrity (T-AGOS-24), was planned. However, the contract was never awarded,. and the other four ships were never named.
Similar Ship Classes
The Impeccable class is similar in appearance to the much smaller four ship Victorious class, led by the USNS Victorious (T-AGOS-19)USNS Victorious (T-AGOS-19)
USNS Victorious is a Victorious-class ocean surveillance ship which was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1991 and assigned to the Military Sealift Command Special Missions Program.-Built in Morgan City, Louisiana:...
. Both classes are SWATH type ships.
The ships perform a similar surveillance function to the older 18 ship Stalwart class
Stalwart class ocean surveillance ship
Stalwart class auxiliary general ocean surveillance ships were a class of United States Naval Ship auxiliary support Ocean Surveillance Ships commissioned between April 1984 and January 1990...
, whose lead ship is the USNS Stalwart (T-AGOS-1). The Stalwart class is not a SWATH hull, but a modified ocean going tug.