Aggressive-class minesweeper

USS Constant (MSO-427)
Class overview
Operators:	United States Navy  Republic of China Navy  Belgian Navy  Royal Norwegian Navy  Philippine Navy
In commission:	1953–1994
Completed:	53
General characteristics
Displacement:	853 tons (full load)
Length:	172 ft (52 m)
Beam:	35 ft (11 m)
Draft:	10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion:	4 × aluminum block Waukesha diesels, 2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) 2 × shafts 2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed:	14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement:	7 officers, 70 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SQQ-14 mine hunting sonar
Armament:	1 × twin 20 mm gun 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) twin machine guns

The Aggressive-class minesweepers are a class of US-built minesweepers. They are designated as MSO (Mine Sweeper Ocean), distinguishing them from the smaller coastal MSCs and inshore MSIs. Besides the US Navy, this class of vessels has also been used by the Belgian Navy and the Norwegian Navy, among others.

Background

Minesweeping, or the disposal of naval mines, by these vessels is performed in different ways:

• Sweeping proper, with an underwater cable cutting the mooring cables of floating mines. The mines then come to the surface and are destroyed by gunfire.
• Acoustic sweeping, with a towed device producing noise to trigger acoustic mines.
• Magnetic sweeping, with a towed device producing a magnetic field to trigger magnetic mines. To protect the minesweeper itself against magnetic mines, the hull of the ship is made of wood.

Construction and disposition

Of the 53 constructed for the United States Navy, 10 were built at Higgins Corp., New Orleans, Louisiana, 9 at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington, 8 at Wilmington Boat Works Inc., Wilmington, California, 6 at Luders Marine Construction Co. of Stamford, Connecticut, 4 at Broward Marine Inc, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 4 at Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, 3 at Burger Boat Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, 3 at Colberg Boat Works, Stockton, California, 2 at Fulton Shipyard, Antioch, California, 2 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and 2 at Seattle Shipbuilding and Drydocking Co., Seattle, Washington.

33 of the class were decommissioned before the mid-1970s. Four ex-USN ships were sold to the Republic of China Navy 1994 and re-classed as Yung Yang-class minesweepers. They were still in active service in 2012. USS Implicit was decommissioned 30 September 1994 in Tacoma, Washington and was the last Aggressive class minesweeper in US Navy active service.

General development of minesweeping

Minesweepers have been in operation since World War I and originally involved a simple metal detector, which sailors used to locate mines. This practice was dangerous not only from the risk of missing and detonating a mine, but also because the enemy would be making the task harder for the sweepers by keeping them under constant, heavy fire. Minesweepers were greatly admired by their peers because of their bravery.

Aggressive class minesweepers used AN/SQQ-14 mine hunting sonar to locate moored or bottom mines. They used electromagnetic cables to set off mines or other cables to cut their mooring lines, and various magnetic and acoustical devices to set off mines. Toward the end of their use, the class also employed remote submersibles like Super Sea Rover to locate mines.

Today, active minesweepers or minehunters are frequently used. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom uses small submarines that are controlled by wireless operators on board the several minesweeping frigates that it possesses. Sweden produced a robotic Self-propelled Acoustic/Magnetic Minesweeper (SAM), which proved its worth during Operation Desert Storm, when it was successfully used for minesweeping by the US Navy. SAMs are currently in service with the Swedish Navy, the Japanese Navy, the Royal Navy and the US Navy, though not necessarily aboard Aggressive class minesweepers.

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  A crewman monitors a mine detection and classification sonar console aboard the ocean minesweeper USS Conquest (MSO-488)

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  A crewman monitors a mine detection and classification console aboard the ocean minesweeper USS Conquest (MSO 488).

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  A paravane used for mine sweeping aboard USS Conquest (MSO-488)

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  USS Illusive (MSO-448) lowers an acoustical device during an exercise.

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  USS Illusive (MSO-448) lowers an different acoustical device for training.

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  USS Illusive (MSO-448) deploys a mineweeping cable.

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  USS Constant (MSO-427) deploying the "mag-tail", used to simulate the magnetic pull of a vessel, are towed behind the ship to attract magnetic mines.

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  A remote control mine-seeking system, Super Sea Rover, aboard USS Conquest (MSO-488).

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  USS Esteem (MSO-438) deploys a marker, for marking mines or mine fields.

Units

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aggressive class minesweepers.

• FAS - MSO-422 class
• GlobalSecurity - MSO-422 class

Aggressive-class minesweepers  United States Navy Aggressive Avenge Bold Bulwark Conflict Conquest Constant Dynamic Embattle Endurance Energy Engage Enhance Esteem Excel Exploit Exultant Fearless Fidelity Firm Force Fortify Gallant Guide Illusive Impervious Implicit Inflict Leader Loyalty Lucid Nimble Notable Observer Persistent Pinnacle Pivot Pledge Pluck Prestige Prime Reaper Rival Sagacity Salute Skill Stalwart Sturdy Swerve Valor Venture Vigor Vital   Other operators  Republic of China Navy Yung Yang class Yung Ku Yung Teh Yung Tzu Yung Yang  Philippine Navy Davao del Norte Davao del Sur  Spanish Navy Guadalete Guadalmedina Guadalquivir Guadiana List of mine warfare vessels of the United States Navy