USNS Catawba is a Powhatan-class tugboat operated by the Military Sealift Command for the United States Navy.

She was launched on 22 September 1979, and christened by Mrs. James R. Derusha, wife of the president of Marinette Marine.

One of the original missions of a fleet tug was to tow damaged warships back to port.

The ship's aft deck is equipped with a SMATCO 66 DTS-200 towing winch for service as a towboat.

[13] Catawba towed ex-Grayback from Subic Bay, Philippines where she was sunk in an exercise in August 1986.

Catawba and CURV formed the hub of a salvage effort to recover a Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter that crashed off the coast of Somalia.

[15] In August 2000, Catawba assisted Bahraini authorities in recovering wreckage and bodies from the crash of Gulf Air Flight 072.

Her divers provided critical assistance in recovering the bodies of aircrew from two 849 Naval Air Squadron Sea King ASaC.7 helicopters which had collided on 22 March 2003 off the Al-Faw Peninsula, while operating from HMS Ark Royal.

[5] In 2009, Catawba provided MV Faina with food, water, and medical supplies after that ship was released by Somali pirates.

[20] Catawba served as a salvage base to recover an F/A-18 Super Hornet that crashed in the Persian Gulf in July 2015.