USNS Sumner (T-AGS-61) is a Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship that became operational in 1997.[1][2] It is the fourth United States Navy ship named Sumner, in this case for Thomas Hubbard Sumner, an American sea captain who discovered the principles of celestial navigation by circle of equal altitude. These ships are crewed by a small crew of civilian mariners, supporting an even smaller contingent of United States Navy personnel.
 USNS Sumner (T-AGS-61) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii July, 2003 with USS Bonhomme Richard in the background.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Sumner |
| Namesake | Thomas Hubbard Sumner |
| Owner |  United States Navy |
| Operator | Military Sealift Command |
| Awarded | 30 January 1991 |
| Builder | Halter Marine |
| Laid down | 18 November 1992 |
| Launched | 19 May 1994 |
| In service | 30 May 1995 |
| Stricken | 29 August 2014 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Awaiting disposal |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Pathfinder-class survey ship |
| Tonnage | 4,260 IGT (Gross Tonnage) |
| Displacement | 4,762 long tons |
| Length | 328 ft 6 in (100.13 m) |
| Beam | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Draft | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Speed | 16 kn (30 km/h) |
| Complement | 26 mariners/27 sponsor personnel |
According to Carol Rosenberg, writing in the Miami Herald, the vessel was scheduled to be place out of service in 2014.[3] Rosenberg reported speculation that Summer would be transferred to the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard would use the ship to counter smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, where she would be stationed as a permanent helicopter station. Coast Guard sharpshooters could be quickly dispatched to intercept and apprehend smugglers. Retrofitting the ship with facilities to operate and maintain a helicopter would cost $10 million.
According to the Naval Vessel Registry, Sumner was stricken on 29 August 2014 with a disposition of Transfer. MARAD NDRF document lists her at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas in December 2014, with note scheduled for disposal.
References
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This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
- ^ "USNS SUMNER (T-AGS 61) -- Oceanographic Survey Ship". United States Navy. 2006-07-18. Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ^
Carol Rosenberg (2014-04-08). "Congress considers $69 million Guantánamo prison gift". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014.
The government-owned Sumner, whose stated mission was to "support worldwide oceanography programs, including performing acoustical, biological, physical and geophysical surveys," is due to arrive at Port Canaveral this weekend for deactivation, according to the Maritime Sealift Command, which operates the vessel. Kelly and Coast Guard commandant Adm. Robert Papp Jr. recently raised the idea of a floating platform without naming the Sumner specifically in Congressional testimony April 29.
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External links
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- USNS Sumner official web site archived from the original
- USNS Sumner page at navsource.org - includes photo gallery
- Oceanographic Survey Ships - T-AGS at www.navy.mil
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