Austal USA has laid the keel of the US Navy’s seventh Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue vessel in Alabama.
The event, representing the start of the future USNS Solomon Atkinson’s (T-ATS 12) assembly, involved the “authentication” or welding of the ship sponsors’ initials onto the hull’s first keel plate.
It was attended by the namesake’s widow, JoAnn Atkinson, and daughters Maria Hayward and Michele Gunyah.
Solomon Atkinson served as a pioneer US Navy SEAL Team One member in the 1960s, with deployments in Korea and three tours in Vietnam.
He was a recipient of the Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” and a Purple Heart.
After his time with the armed forces, Atkinson returned to his home in Metlakatla, Alaska, where he became an Indian Community Council education board official, an Annette Island veteran organization founder and president, and Metlakatla mayor.
“The keel laying of the future Solomon Atkinson marks the beginning of the construction journey for the ship and we are excited about the vital capabilities this vessel will bring to the fleet,” US Navy Auxiliary and Special Mission Shipbuilding Program Manager John Lighthammer said at the event.
“It’s an honor that members of the Atkinson family and the Metlakatla Indian Community were present to celebrate this significant milestone in the life of the ship.”
The US Navy Navajo-Class Fleet
The 10-ship Navajo fleet was developed to take over the roles of the US Navy’s Powhatan-class ocean tugs and Safeguard-class rescue vessels operational since the 1980s.
Each Navajo system measures 80 meters (263 feet) long, has 557 square meters (6,000 square feet) of deck space, and can carry up to 65 sailors.
The vessel is integrated with two 6,300 horsepower Wartsila diesel engines for an operational range of 8,100 nautical miles (15,001 kilometers/9,321 miles) and a speed 15 knots (28 kilometers/17 miles per hour).
The USNS Atkinson is one of five contracted Navajos from Austal. The first five were contracted with Bollinger Shipyards.
The sixth vessel of the class, the USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), was christened earlier in April.
