The Navy has awarded contracts to three shipbuilders to conduct studies for the design of the next fleet of oiler vessels, the service said Wednesday. A T-AO-187-class oiler. Photo by U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded $1.7 million contracts to General Dynamics [GD] National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), Huntington Ingalls Industries’ [HII] Ingalls division and VT Halter Marine for the work on the T-AO(X) program. The T-AO(X) fleet replenishment oilers program is intended to replace the T-AO-187-class of…