(The information follows:) 
USNS “Davis” 
The USNS Davis (T-AGOR-5) is a civilian manned oceanographic ship op- 
erated by the Commander, Military Sea Transportation Service for the Oceanog- 
rapher of the Navy. Since being placed in service as new construction in 1963, 
as a Pacific “pool” ship, it has supported oceanographic projects at West Coast 
Navy Laboratories and the Naval Oceanographic office, and the education of 
Navy officers in oceanography at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, 
California. The USNS Gilliss (T-AGOR-4) is of the same class, and has an 
identical mission except that since entering service in 1962 it has been assigned 
to a pool of support ships in the Atlantic. Two new AGOR class ships, the 
USNS Desteiguer (T-AGOR-12) and the USNS Bartlett (T-AGOR-13), now 
completing their shakedowns, are being assigned in similar fashion, and would 
bring the total number of pool ships to six. While Navy requirements are suf- 
ficient to utilize all six ships full time, funding constraints demand a com- 
promise in the services provided and a continuation of the 4-ship pool level of 
prior years. 
It has been found necessary to reprogram operating and overhaul costs ap- 
proximating two million dollars annually by ordering immediate inactivation of 
Davis and Gilliss, the two oldest pool ships. Their reactivation will be considered 
during the apportionment of FY 71 funds next spring, in relation not only 
to other Navy-wide urgent requirements but also to the needs of the total 
Navy oceanographic program. Until then, and possibly through FY 71, the 
ships will remain in caretaker status. It is currently intended that funds for 
operating both the Davis and the Gilliss will be requested in the FY 72 budget. 
Mr. Lennon. As a matter of fact, you raise the question that the 
Navy might be drained off if this new organization were established, 
and yet you find yourself in a position that you are mothballing your 
oceanographic and hydrographic vessels, not your old ones, but ihe 
two new ones, 1s that right ? 
Dr. Froscu. Yes, we have such problems. 
Mr. Lennon. Why? 
Dr. Froscn. We have fiscal problems in supporting all of our ves- 
sels and there gets to be a competition between supporting operational 
fleet vessels, removing them or supporting research vessels or remov- 
ing them, and we are trying to make the best compromise for the 
Navy’s programs. ) 
Mr. Lennon. Have you ever thought about transferring these ves- 
sels now that you have to mothball, these vessels that the taxpayers of 
America paid for at your request ? 
Dr. Froscu. We have authorized the use of these ships or the trans- 
fer at least for a period of time to other agencies in the Government, 
but they have not been able to support them either. 
Mr. Kerru. Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. Lennon. Yes. 
Mr. Kerru. Aren’t there some institutions in the private sector or 
semiprivate sector that could use these ships? Ut ie 
Tn fact, don’t you have some ships of this sort assigned to such insti- 
tutions as Woods Hole? 
Dr. Froscr. Yes; we do, Mr. Keith, but there too, the support of the 
programs which pay for the operation of such ships is principally 
from Federal moneys so that the transfer of a ship or the bailment 
of a ship alone is of no use to the institution unless there are program 
funds available for its support and, in the same sense that we do not 
have the funds in the budget to continue to operate the ships for Navy 
purposes directly, we do not and apparently the other agencies do not 
