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[2] and AGS-33.

[3] Silas Bent was the first of the first four purpose built ships for U.S. Navy surveys.

The AGS-26 and AGS-33 (Wilkes) subclass ships were externally almost identical with slightly different modernized internal configuration reflecting their being laid down (July 1968) three years after Bent's delivery to the Navy 23 July 1965 (See photos at references).

The ships were designed to be capable of surveys supporting hydrographic and bathymetric charting and oceanographic requirements.

The initial Bent installation was a prototype "Shipboard Survey System" based on a standard Navy AN/UYK computer.