Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Related Content
Topic
Document Type
  • Ship History
Wars & Conflicts
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials

Waters (T-AGS-45)

1994–

The first U.S. Navy ship named for Odale Dabney Waters Jr. (13 July 1910–7 May 1986). The one previous Waters (DD-115), redesignated a high-speed transport (APD-8) in December 1942, was named for Daniel Waters (20 June 1731–26 March 1816).

(T-AGS-45: displacement 12,208; length 442'; beam 69'; draft 21'; speed 13.2 knots; complement 87; armament none; class Waters)

Waters (T-AGS-45) was laid down on 21 May 1991 at New Orleans, La., by Avondale Industries, Inc., Shipyards Division; launched on 6 June 1992; cosponsored by Ms. Carol W. Waters, Mrs. Ann E. Scott, Mrs. Martha L. Philipps, and Mrs. L. Dabney Schmitt, daughters of the late Rear Adm. Odale D. Waters Jr., Oceanographer of the Navy; and was placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) on 28 October 1994.

Waters (T-AGS-45)-MSC
Waters is a unique oceanographic survey ship that supports worldwide oceanography programs. (Unattributed or dated U.S. Navy photograph, Waters (T-AGS-45), Ship Inventory, MSC)

Waters originally served as an oceanographic survey ship, but under the sponsorship of the Strategic Systems Program Office she was converted in 1998 by Detyens Shipyards, Inc., North Charleston, S.C., and the following year began supporting ballistic missile flight tests and submarine navigation system evaluations. She subsequently replaced flight test navigation support ship Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22), which was stricken on 3 May 1999, and submarine navigation system test ship Vanguard (T-AG-194), stricken on 13 October 1998. Waters is homeported in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Waters (T-AGS-45)-110301-N-7237C-009
Fleet ballistic-missile submarine Nevada (SSBN-733) fires an unarmed Trident II D5 submarine- launched ballistic missile from off the coast of Southern California, 1 March 2011. The test launch is part of the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs demonstration and shakedown operation certification process, and certifies the readiness of Nevada’s crew and the operational performance of the submarine’s strategic weapons system before she returns to operational availability. The launch marks the program’s 135th consecutive successful test flight since December 1989. (Seaman Benjamin Crossley, U.S. Navy Photograph 110301-N-7237C-009, Navy NewsStand)
Waters (T-AGS-45)-110301-N-7237C-012
Some of the more than 150 Strategic Systems Programs employees and guests on board Waters observe the Trident thrust skyward, 1 March 2011. Engineers, scientists, and instrumentation technicians embark on board Waters and track the submarine and the missile throughout the launch process. (Seaman Benjamin Crossley, U.S. Navy Photograph 110301-N-7237C-012, Navy NewsStand)

Detailed history pending.

Mark L. Evans

16 December 2015

Published: Mon Jan 11 14:23:03 EST 2016