Silas Bent-class survey ship
USNS Elisha Kent Kane (T-AGS-27) underway in 1984  | |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type | AGS-26 (Silas Bent) class survey ship | 
| Tonnage | 1,935 tons | 
| Displacement | 2,580 tons | 
| Length | 285 ft 3 in (86.94 m) | 
| Beam | 48 ft (15 m) | 
| Draft | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 
| Propulsion | ALCO diesels, Allis-Chalmers electric drive, single shaft. SHP approx. 3000 + 350 SHP trainable and retractable, gas turbine powered, bow propulsion unit to assist station-keeping and ultra-quiet ship operations. | 
| Speed | 15 knots | 
| Complement | 44 crew, 26 scientific party | 
| Armament | None | 
The Silas Bent class is frequently found applied to four ships though the Naval Vessel Register and some sources officially break them into the subclasses of AGS-26 and AGS-33. Silas Bent was the first of the first four purpose built ships for U.S. Navy surveys. Previous ships had been modifications of various naval types.