NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho (A523)

NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho (A523) is a ship of the Portuguese Navy' Dom Carlos I-class survey vessels (ex-US Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ship adapted in Portugal for the execution of hydrography and oceanography surveys). Before transfer to the Portuguese Navy, Almirante Gago Coutinho was formerly USNS Assurance (T-AGOS-5) of the United States Navy.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Assurance.
NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho at Pipas port, Azores.
History
United States
Name: USNS Assurance
In service: 1 May 1985
Out of service: 6 January 1995
Stricken: 6 January 1995
Identification: T-AGOS-5
Fate: Transferred to Portugal 1999
Portugal
Name: NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho
Namesake: Gago Coutinho
Acquired: September 1999
Commissioned: 1999
In service: 1999
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics
Class and type: Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ship
Displacement:
  • 1,565 tons (light)
  • 2,535 tons (full)
Length: 224 ft (68 m)
Beam: 43 ft (13 m)
Draft: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Complement: 20

Design

The Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ships were succeeded by the longer Victorious class. 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 tons and a deadweight tonnage of 786 tons.[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 fleet ocean tugs.[1]

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.[2]

References
  1. 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. World Navies Today: Portugal



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