U.S. Navy to Begin Construction of Oceanographic Research Vessel

The Navy has awarded $70 million to Dakota Creek Industries Incorporated, Anacortes, Washington, to begin building the second of two modern oceanographic research vessels for the office of Naval Research. The company will begin detail design and construction on the Ocean-class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel 28. Naval Sea Systems Command previously awarded a contract for AGOR 27, the first of the two new research ships. The recent award brings the Navy's combined shipbuilding investments in the program to $145 million.