L-R: Captain Nathan (Nate) Schneider, USN, Commander, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion & Repair, Gulf Coast; Capt John Ferguson, USN-Ret. & consultant of Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Robert (Rob) Mullins, VP program administration at Bollinger Houma Shipyards; Chris Remont, EVP and General Manager at Bollinger Mississippi Shipyards. [Photograph: Bollinger Shipyards]
Joined by senior U.S. Navy officers at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pasagoula, Miss., Bollinger Shipyards LLC final week formally commenced building of the longer term USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS 10). The vessel is the tenth Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) and the fifth T-ATS vessel being constructed by Bollinger since buying this system in April of 2021.
“Bollinger is honored to be entrusted by the Navy to build the Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship. We’re excited to be able to utilize our newly acquired facility in Pascagoula to maximize our mobility and efficiency on the T-ATS program as we officially kick off construction on the fifth of five T-ATS ships to be built by Bollinger,” stated Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “The T-ATS program is an important part of our expanding portfolio and relationship with the Navy as we work to support critical fleet modernization efforts. Maximizing Bollinger Shipyards resources across the Gulf Coast is something we’re incredibly proud of. This program sustains jobs in both our facilities between Houma and Pascagoula.”
The Navajo-class gives ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to help fleet operations. The vessels are tasked with coming to the help of stricken vessels. Their basic mission capabilities embrace fight salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting, and manned diving operations.
The T-ATS platform replaces and fulfills the capabilities that have been beforehand supplied by the Powhatan-class Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF 166) and Safeguard-class Rescue and Salvage Ships (T-ARS 50) class ships.
Named for the Muscogee Creek Nation, T-ATS 10 honors the self-governed native American tribe situated in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The Muscogee persons are descendants of not only one tribe, however a union of a number of. Muscogee Creek Nation is the most important of the federally acknowledged Muscogee tribes, which is the fourth largest tribe within the U.S. with greater than 86,000 residents – a few of whom have or proceed to serve throughout the U.S. Armed Forces. This would be the first Navy vessel to hold the identify Muscogee Creek Nation.
In addition to T-ATS 10, Bollinger is establishing USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7), USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS 8) and the USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS 9).
