USNS ''James M. Gilliss'' (T-AGOR-4) was a ''Robert D. Conrad''-class

oceanographic research ship Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynami ...

acquired by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in 1962. The ship was operated by the

Military Sea Transportation Service Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

(MSTS now MSC) and managed by the

Naval Oceanographic Office The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to al ...

as one of the "Navy Pool" vessels serving various Navy laboratories and projects in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. After active Navy pool service the ship was assigned to the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

to operate as part of the

University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is a group of academic institutions and National Laboratories organized in the United States to coordinate research vessel use for federally funded ocean research. Authority The UNOLS ...

(UNOLS) fleet until 1979. ''James M. Gilliss'' was loaned to the

Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy is one of the two independent armed forces of Mexico. The actual naval forces are called the ''Armada de México''. The ''Secretaría de Marina'' (''SEMAR'') (English: Naval Secretariat) includes both the ''Armada'' itself and ...

in June 1983 as an oceanographic research ship to become ARM “Altair” (BI-03). Mexico bought the ship December 1996 under the Security Assistance Act.

Built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, ''James M. Gilliss'' (T-AGOR-4) was laid down by

Christy Corporation Bay Shipbuilding Company (BSC) is a shipyard and dry dock company in Sturgeon Bay, Door County, Wisconsin. As of 2015, Bay Ships was a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group and produces articulated tug and barges, OPA-90 compliant double hul ...

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 Census. The city is well-known regionally for being the largest city of the Door Peninsula, after which the county is n ...

, 31 May 1961; launched 19 May 1962; sponsored by Mrs.

Hubert H. Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, wife of the Senator from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

; delivered to the Navy 5 October 1962; and turned over to the

(MSTS) 5 November 1962, Captain Torston Johnson in command.

Naval Oceanographic Office service

The ship was by operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and managed by the Oceanographic Office as one of the "Navy Pool" vessels for which the office coordinated use by Navy laboratories, universities and research organizations with Navy contracts for varied projects.The referenced report lists the organizations using the Navy Pool T-AGORs during the covered period and the pool ships: , , , , , and . In addition to the latest in

oceanographic Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...

and meteorological equipment, she also possessed unusual design features, including special antiroll tanks for stability and a retractable bow propulsion propeller. As a mobile, floating research laboratory, she was capable of carrying out experiments in sound transmission, underwater life, and ocean floor characteristics, thus enabling her to help continue the Navy's lead in the exploration and understanding of "inner space."

Searching for Thresher

Departing Sturgeon Bay 8 November, she arrived

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

19 November for sea trials and

shakedown Shakedown may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational * Extortion, ...

. On 12 April 1963 she departed New York City to take part in the massive search for sunken submarine ''Thresher'' (SSN-593). Operating out of Boston, Massachusetts, she lent her "know-how" to this vital and difficult operation for 5 months before arriving

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, 22 September. After returning to

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...

, for additional equipment tests, she departed 1 November for oceanographic research operations off

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

North Atlantic operations

During the next 4 months she operated in the Atlantic from the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

to the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

coast. In March 1964 she steamed to the Caribbean for surveying and scientific work out of

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

. Arriving Key West, Florida, 28 March, she operated from the

Strait of Florida The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait ( es, Estrecho de Florida) is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between ...

to the Bahamas and Bermuda for more than a year. Departing Key West 23 May 1965, she arrived New York 27 May and prepared for deployment to waters off the British Isles. She sailed 14 June; arrived Belfast, Northern Ireland, 27 June; and began 3 months of research and survey operations from the British Isles and France to Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland. Departing Belfast 15 September, she returned to New London 6 October and resumed research operations off the U.S. East Coast, which have continued into 1967. She continued to operate in the Atlantic from New England to the Bahamas while supporting important surveys and scientific experiments of the

University of Miami

The ship was reassigned to the

to replace the R/V ''Pillsbury'', which was to be retired in summer of 1971, and operate as R/V ''James M. Gilliss'', one of the Navy owned vessels of the

(UNOLS) fleet. As an example of work during this phase the ship, along with University of Miami's R/V ''Columbus Iselin'' was among other government and institutional ships taking part in the Global Atmospheric Research Program Atlantic Tropical Experiment in 1974. The ship went out of UNOLS service in 1979. Two new ships, ordered by the National Science Foundation and due for completion in June and September 1981 were to replace Duke University's R/V ''Eastward'' and University of Miami's R/V ''James M. Gilliss'' respectively.

Navy inactivation

''James M. Gilliss'' was placed out of service on an unspecified date. Between 18 March 1980 and 14 June 1983 the ship was in the custody of the United States Maritime Administration in the Beaumont, Texas reserve fleet.

Mexican service

On 15 June 1983 the ship was loaned to Mexico to become the Buques de Investigación Oceanográfica ARM ''Altair'' (BI-03) surveying for the Mexican navy. ''Altair'', along with ARM ''Antares'' (BI-04) (ex ), are listed as operational in 2019 and based in Manzanillo, Colima. The ship was transferred to the

on 4 December 1996 under the Security Assistance Act.

Footnotes

References

External links

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive – T-AGOR-4 James M. Gilliss
{{DEFAULTSORT:James M. Gilliss Robert D. Conrad-class oceanographic research ships University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research vessels Ships built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 1961 ships Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Mexican Navy Research vessels of the Mexican Navy