The USNS Worthy (T-AGOS-14) was a modified Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ship operated by the United States Navy.

USNS Worthy (T-AGOS-14) at Washington Navy Yard, 1989.
History
United States Navy
NameUSNS Worthy (T-AGOS-14)
OrderedApril 5, 1985
BuilderVT Halter Marine, Inc.
Laid downApril 3, 1986
LaunchedFebruary 6, 1988
StrickenMay 20, 1993
FateTransferred in 1995 to the United States Army
United States Army
NameUSAV Worthy (T-AGOS-14)
Acquired1995
Identification
StatusIn active service, as of 2020
General characteristics
Displacement1,565 t.(lt) 2,535 t.(fl)
Length224 ft (68 m)
Beam43 ft (13 m)
Draught15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsiondiesel-electric, two shafts, 1,600 hp
Speed11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)

Design

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The Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ships were succeeded by the longer Victorious-class ocean surveillance ships. Worthy had an overall length of 224 feet (68 m) and a length of 203 feet 6 inches (62.03 m) at its waterline. It had a beam of 43 feet (13 m) and a draft of 15 feet (4.6 m). The surveillance ship had a displacement of 1,600 tonnes (1,600 long tons; 1,800 short tons) at light load and 2,301 tonnes (2,265 long tons; 2,536 short tons) at full load. It was powered by a diesel-electric system of four Caterpillar D-398 diesel-powered generators and two General Electric 550 metric horsepower (540 shp; 400 kW) electric motors. This produced a total of 3,200 metric horsepower (3,200 shp; 2,400 kW) that drove two shafts. It had a gross register tonnage of 1,584 and a deadweight tonnage of 786.[1]

The Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ships had maximum speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). They were built to be fitted with the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) system. The ship had an endurance of thirty days. It had a range of 3,000 miles (2,600 nmi; 4,800 km) and a speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). Its complement was between thirty-two and forty-seven. Its hull design was similar to that of the Powhatan-class tugboats.[1]

History

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US Army Vessel Worthy as Kwajalein Mobile Range Safety System, October 1995.

Stalwart-class ships were originally designed to collect underwater acoustical data in support of Cold War anti-submarine warfare operations in the 1980s. USNS Worthy was struck from the Navy registry in 1993 and modified to be Kwajalein Mobile Range Safety System (KMRSS) Worthy, a missile range instrumentation ship at Kwajalein Atoll's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, operated by the United States Army.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Norman Polmar (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Naval Institute Press. p. 617. ISBN 978-1-59114-685-8.
  2. ^ GlobalSecurity.org: T-AGOS 1 Stalwart
  3. ^ hazegray.org – World Navies Today: US Army
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