In service 1 May 1985 Struck 6 January 1995 Launched 12 January 1985 | Out of service 6 January 1995 Construction started 16 April 1984 Length 68 m | |
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Name USNS Assurance (T-AGOS-5) Status In service as a survey ship Name NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho (A523) Builder Tacoma Boatbuilding Company | ||
NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho (A523) is a ship of the Portuguese Navy' Dom Carlos I-class survey vessels (ex-US Stalwart-class surveillance ships adapted in Portugal for the execution of hydrography and oceanography surveys). Before the transference to the Portuguese Navy, Almirante Gago Coutinho was the USNS Assurance (T-AGOS-5) surveillance ship of the United States Navy.
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Design
The Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ships were succeeded by the longer Victorious-class ocean surveillance ships. Assurance 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.
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 fleet ocean tugs.
History
USNS Assurance was a Stalwart-class modified tactical auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship of the United States Navy. Stalwart class ships were originally designed to collect underwater acoustical data in support of Cold war anti-submarine warfare operations in the 1980s.
In 1999, ex-USNS Assurance was transferred to Portugal and is now NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho survey ship.