USS Raven in the Persian Gulf, 2004 |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Osprey |
| Builders: | Intermarine USA Avondale Shipyard |
| Operators: | U.S. Navy (former) Hellenic Navy Egyptian Navy Lithuanian Navy Turkish Navy Republic of China Navy |
| Succeeded by: | Avenger-class |
| In commission: | 1993 - 2007 |
| Completed: | 12 |
| Active: | 2 with Hellenic Navy 2 with Egyptian Navy 2 with Lithuanian Navy 2 with Turkish Navy 2 with ROC(Taiwan) Navy 2 to be Transferred to Indian Navy |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Coastal minehunter |
| Displacement: | 893 tons (804 metric tons) full load |
| Length: | 188 ft (57 m) |
| Beam: | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draft: | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × diesels (800 hp ea.) 2 ×Voith-Schneider (cycloidal) propulsion systems |
| Speed: | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Endurance: | 15 days |
| Complement: | 5 officers, 46 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
•AN/SLQ-48 mine neutralization equipment •AN/SQQ-32 minehunting sonar •AN/SYQ-13 navigation/command and control •AN/SSQ-94 on board trainer |
| Armament: | 2 × .50 caliber machine guns |
Osprey-class coastal minehunters are designed to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom naval mines from vital waterways. They use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control. Osprey class are the world's second largest minehunters (surpassed by the Royal Navy's 60-metre (200 ft) Hunt class minehunters) to be constructed entirely of fiberglass and designed to survive the shock of underwater explosions. Their primary mission is reconnaissance, classification, and neutralization of all types of moored and bottom mines in littoral areas, harbors and coastal waterways.
Contents |
Twelve minehunter ships were built for the U.S. Navy by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton Avondale Industries) of New Orleans and Intermarine of Savannah. The ships were commissioned between 1993 and 1999.
The ships of this class were named after various types of birds except for MHC-58 Black Hawk, which was named for Black Hawk, a chief of the Sauk American Indian tribe.[1]
All of these ships were decommissioned in 2006–07. The Hellenic Navy received two of the Osprey-class from the US Navy: MHC-52 Heron, renamed Calypso and MHC-53 Pelican, renamed Euniki. Two more were transferred to the Egyptian Navy: MHC-60 Cardinal, renamed al Sedeeq (MHC-521) and MHC-61 Raven, renamed al Farouk (MHC-524). On April 29, 2008 the President of the United States was authorized by the United States Congress (in the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008) to transfer by grant MHC-58 Black Hawk to Turkey. The sale of MHC-55 Oriole and MHC-59 Falcon to Taiwan as well as MHC-62 Shrike to Turkey was also authorized.
It was reported on 29 September, 2010 in Indian Media that the US Senate has approved the sale of MHC-56 Kingfisher & MHC-57 Cormorant to the Indian Navy.[2][3]
| Ship | Hull No. | Builder | Commissioned– Decommissioned |
NVR Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey | MHC-51 | Intermarine USA | 1993–2006 | MHC51 |
| Heron | MHC-52 | Intermarine USA | 1994–2007 | MHC52 |
| Pelican | MHC-53 | Avondale Shipyard, Westwego | 1995–2007 | MHC53 |
| Robin | MHC-54 | Avondale Shipyard | 1996–2006 | MHC54 |
| Oriole | MHC-55 | Intermarine USA | 1995–2006 | MHC55 |
| Kingfisher | MHC-56 | Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport | 1996–2007 | MHC56 |
| Cormorant | MHC-57 | Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport | 1997–2007 | MHC57 |
| Black Hawk | MHC-58 | Intermarine USA | 1996–2007 | MHC58 |
| Falcon | MHC-59 | Intermarine USA | 1997–2006 | MHC59 |
| Cardinal | MHC-60 | Intermarine USA | 1997–2007 | MHC60 |
| Raven | MHC-61 | Intermarine USA | 1998–2007 | MHC61 |
| Shrike | MHC-62 | Intermarine USA | 1999–2007 | MHC62 |
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