USNS Hayes (T-AGOR-16/T-AG-195) was a Hayes-class oceanographic research ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1971. In 1992 she was reconfigured as an acoustics research ship and assigned to the Navy’s program of acoustic noise reduction for submarines.
Hayes was built in Seattle, Washington, by Todd Shipyards, Corp., and was laid down on 12 November 1969 and launched on 2 July 1970. She was named after Dr. Harvey C. Hayes, a pioneer in underwater acoustics and the former head of the US Navy Sound Division of Naval Research Laboratory. She was delivered to the Navy 21 July 1971 and placed in service by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Hayes (T-AGOR-16). After completing service with the MSC, she was placed into Ready Reserve 10 June 1983. In 1984 Hayes was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Hayes was reacquired by the Navy during fiscal year 1986 and was converted into an Acoustic Research Ship at Tacoma Boatbuilding, Tacoma, Washington. MSC placed the ship back into service in 1992, this time as USNS Hayes (T-AG-195).