T-AGS 60 class oceanographic survey ships: evolution of the hydrographic mission

In 1989 the Oceanographer of the Navy approved the construction of a new class of multimission oceanographic survey ship for the Naval Oceanographic Office, the T-AGS 60 class. The initial focus of the survey mission was primarily blue water oceanography. In the intervening years mission focus has shifted towards the littoral. This paper presents the original class mission capability and discusses the mission evolution to the littoral and the incorporation of a hydrographic survey capability that meets International Hydrographic Organization requirements.