Osprey-class coastal minehunter

For other ship classes of the same name, see Osprey class.
USS Raven in the Persian Gulf, 2004
Class overview
Name: Osprey
Builders:
Operators:
Succeeded by: None
In commission: 1993 - 2007
Completed: 12
Active:
  • 2 with Hellenic Navy
  • 2 with Egyptian Navy
  • 2 with ROC(Taiwan) Navy
Scrapped: 6
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.

Construction

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. Contrary to some posts, the USS Black Hawk was named after the bird and not the Indian Chief.

Decommissioning

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). The sale of MHC-55 Oriole and MHC-59 Falcon to Republic of China (aka Taiwan) was also authorized.[1]

The U.S. General Services Administration (GS) announced in April 2014 that hull numbers MHC-51, 54, 56, 57, 58, and 62 were up for auction to be sold as an entire lot for "dismantlement purposes only." This ccontradicted earlier information announcing the sale of some of these vessels to foreign operators.[2]

Ships

Ship Hull No. Builder Commissioned–
Decommissioned 		NVR
Page 		Fate
Osprey MHC-51 Intermarine USA 1993–2006 MHC51 Sold for scrap 2014.
Heron MHC-52 Intermarine USA 1994–2007 MHC52 Sold to the Hellenic Navy, renamed as HS Kalypso (M 64)
Pelican MHC-53 Avondale Shipyard, Westwego 1995–2007 MHC53 Sold to the Hellenic Navy, renamed as HS Evniki (M 61)
Robin MHC-54 Avondale Shipyard 1996–2006 MHC54 Sold for scrap 2014.
Oriole MHC-55 Intermarine USA 1995–2006 MHC55 Sold to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy
Kingfisher MHC-56 Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport 1996–2007 MHC56 Sold for scrap 2014.
Cormorant MHC-57 Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport 1997–2007 MHC57 Sold for scrap 2014.
Black Hawk MHC-58 Intermarine USA 1996–2007 MHC58 Sold for scrap 2014.
Falcon MHC-59 Intermarine USA 1997–2006 MHC59 Sold to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy
Cardinal MHC-60 Intermarine USA 1997–2007 MHC60 Sold to the Egyptian Navy, renamed as al Sedeeq (MHC-521)
Raven MHC-61 Intermarine USA 1998–2007 MHC61 Sold to the Egyptian Navy, renamed as al Farouk (MHC-524)
Shrike MHC-62 Intermarine USA 1999–2007 MHC62 Sold for scrap 2014.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Osprey class coastal minehunters.

References

Notes

Sources

External links


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