Sauda class MCMV

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Class overview

Builders:	Hodgeson Bros, Gowdy & Stevens East Boothbay Westermoen Båtbyggeri og Mek Verksted Skaaluren Skibsbyggeri De Forenede Båtbyggerier
Operators:	Royal Norwegian Navy United States Navy Belgian Navy
Preceded by:	No preceding class of MCM Vessels, only HNoMS Rauma (1940-1963) and HNoMS Otra (1939-1963)
Succeeded by:	Oksøy class mine hunter and Alta class minesweeper
In service:	1953 - 1996
In commission:	1953
Completed:	10
Retired:	10
Preserved:	1
General characteristics
Displacement:	333 tons
Length:	44 m (144 ft)
Propulsion:	2 General Motors 880 BHK
Speed:	13,5 knots
Complement:	40 (8 - 10 officers and 30 privates)
Armament:	2 x 20 mm Oerlikon gun

The Sauda class was a class of nine minesweepers and one minehunter in service for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1953 to 1996. The class was designed at Sparkman & Stevens Inc. New York as an improvement of the NYMS class (Norwegian Yard Mine Sweepers). Five of the vessels were built in the United States, three were built at Westermoen Båtbyggeri og Mek Verksted in Mandal, one at Skaaluren Skibsbyggeri in Rosendal and one at De Forenede Båtbyggerier in Risør. The class was fully financed by the US government as a part of the Military Assistance Program (MAP).

All the vessels were named after Norwegian rivers: Sauda, Sira, Tana, Alta, Ogna, Vosso, Glomma, Tista, Kvina and Utla. HNoMS Alta is the only vessel still in existence. She is a museum vessel owned by the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum but maintained and sailed by a dedicated friendship association. Some of the vessels were in service in the US Navy and the Royal Belgian Navy before entering Norwegian service.