USNS Hayes

USNS Hayes (T-AGOR-16/T-AG-195) was a Hayes-class oceanographic research ship acquired by the United States Navy in 1971. As an AGOR the ship was sponsored by the Oceanographer of the Navy to be operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) under technical direction of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Hayes supported a variety of oceanographic, atmospheric and bottom survey projects for NRL and assicated agencies. The ship was named after Dr. Harvey C. Hayes, a pioneer in underwater acoustics and the former head of Naval Research Laboratory's Sound Division. In 1992 the ship was reconfigured as an acoustics measurement ship redesignated T-AG-195 and assigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in the Navy's program of acoustic noise reduction for submarines. The ship was based in Florida and operated at the division's South TOTO Acoustic Facility (STAFAC), located in Tongue of the Ocean. Ship measurements were replaced by a bottom moored fixed system becoming operational in 2008 with Hayes being retired.