Navy Names New Ship Class After Navajo Nation

A new class of U.S. Navy towing, salvage and rescue ships will be named Navajo in recognition of the Diné people. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced the name March 12 in honor of the contributions the Navajo people have made to U.S. military forces. The release states the new class will be based on existing commercial towing offshore vessel designs and will replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships. The first ship in the class will be named USNA Navajo and designated T-ATS 6. Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. was awarded the $63.5 million contract for design and construction, which will take place at the company's shipyard in Houma, Louisiana. It is scheduled for completion in March 2021. Read more about the new ship class on Military.com.