Pathfinder class survey ship

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File:T-ags-61.jpg
USNS Sumner (T-AGS-61) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July, 2003

The Pathfinder / T-AGS-60 Class of Oceanographic survey ships are owned by Military Sealift Command and operated by Horizon Lines, LLC for the Naval Oceanographic Office ("NAVOCEANO"). They have entirely civilian crews, including scientists from NAVOCEANO[1]. Depending on area of operation, they occasionally have a Force Protection Detachment (usually a Navy Mobile Security Squadron).

There are six ships in the Pathfinder class. They carry the USNS prefix:

ja:パスファインダー級海洋観測艦 pl:Statki hydrograficzne typu Pathfinder