The American company Vard Marine US has received a contract from the US Navy to develop a concept for the future logistics fleet – the Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) project, also known as the T-AOL light supply tanker.
🔺What does this mean:
The new class of vessels will be:
— smaller and more maneuverable than traditional tankers
— capable of refueling, supplying, and rearming
— cheaper and faster to build due to the use of off-the-shelf commercial technologies
🔺The main idea is to move away from large and expensive vessels toward a more flexible supply system, especially for operations in contested environments.
🚢 What is known about the future T-AOL class:
— a series of ~13 vessels is planned
— estimated cost: ~$453 million per unit
— for comparison: John Lewis-class tankers cost over $800 million
— the first vessel is expected to be delivered in 2028
The US Navy is betting on “smaller, cheaper, more mobile”—and this could set a trend for the entire global maritime industry 🌍
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