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AGOR 27 Neil Armstrong

The Neil Armstrong Class Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessels are modern mono-hull research vessels based on a commercial design, capable of integrated, interdisciplinary, general purpose oceanographic research in coastal and deep ocean areas. The detail design and construction of R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27) was competitively awarded to Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., October 14, 2011; the option for the construction of R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28) was exercised February 3, 2012. AGOR 27 was delivered September 23, 2015, with AGOR 28 undergoing construction at the Dakota Creek Industries' shipyard in Anacortes, Washington.

The Navy owned 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 are 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 Neil Armstrong class ships are outfitted with multi-drive low-voltage diesel electric propulsion systems. This upgraded system helps maintain efficiency while lowering maintenance and fuel costs. They 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 on board laboratories and extensive science payload capacity provide the ships with the flexibility to meet a wide variety of oceanographic research challenges in the coming decades.

Both ships have the ability to sail at a sustained speed of 12 knots and will have 20 berths allotted for crew members and 24 for scientists. Some of the high-tech features planned include: acoustic navigation and tracking systems that operate at various depths; a specially designed hull that diverts bubbles from the acoustic sensor area; a centralized freshwater cooling system to provide heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and dual-controllable propellers with variable speed motors for increased efficiency.

Construction for two new research ships funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) officially got underway with a keel-laying and dedication ceremony 17 August 2012in Anacortes, Wash. Contracts for both state-of-the-art Ocean-class Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessels were awarded in late 2011 and earlier in 2012. During the traditional ceremony, the first pieces of steel comprising the keels for AGOR 27 and 28 were etched with the keel certifiers' initials. "Gaining exact knowledge and understanding of the oceans is critical to fulfilling today's and tomorrow's Navy and Marine Corp missions," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, who spoke at the ceremony. "Research vessels like AGOR 27 and 28 provide us the best opportunity to gather scientific data that is important for understanding the complex ocean properties impacting the performance and capabilities of our Sailor and Marines." "These will be the first new ships ONR has built in 15 to 20 years by the time they launch-so they represent the latest in shipbuilding technology, as well as capabilities for oceanographic research that will take us well into the mid-21st century," said Dr. Frank Herr, director of ONR's Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department. "It's an opportunity for the ship's users, operators, builders and sponsors to come together and mark the beginning of the life of the ship-to see the work that has taken the last 10 years take shape by getting to this point of actual construction," Herr said. The design and construction of both vessels was managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command. Each was expected to be completed in 30 to 36 months, with delivery scheduled for late 2014 for AGOR 27 and early 2015 for AGOR 28. The keel laying is a major milestone in a ship's construction, symbolizing the point at which it begins to transition from concept to reality. The ships are 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 competitively selected two institutions to operate the ships under renewable charter-party agreements. Once completed, AGOR 27 was operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and AGOR 28 was managed by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography under charter party agreements with ONR. Both ships would be supporting scientists with ongoing research worldwide, including in the Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Ocean regions in a wide variety of missions. These two ships joined the four other research vessels (R/V) in ONR's fleet as of early 2015: R/V Atlantis, R/V Kilo Moana, R/V Roger Revelle and R/V Thomas G. Thompson.

ONR provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 30 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and more than 900 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,065 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.