USS Ardent (MCM-12)
 USS Ardent at sea in the Persian Gulf, July 2005 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name: | USS Ardent |
| Ordered: | 12 December 1989 |
| Laid down: | 22 October 1990 |
| Launched: | 16 November 1991 |
| Christened: | 20 August 1993 |
| Commissioned: | 18 February 1994 |
| Homeport: | San Diego, California |
| Status: | in active service |
| Badge: |
 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship |
| Displacement: | 1,312 tons |
| Length: | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Beam: | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Draft: | 11.5 ft (3.5 m) |
| Propulsion: | four diesels |
| Speed: | 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Complement: | 8 Officers, 6 Chief Petty Officers and 58 Enlisted |
| Armament: | Mine neutralization system, two .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns |
The third USS Ardent (MCM-12) is an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship in the United States Navy.
She was built by Peterson Shipbuilders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Ardent is homeported at San Diego, California and is part of the U.S. 3rd Fleet.
Her Command History for 1993-94 indicates that '.. from 1 January 1994 to 31 October 1994 ARDENT was assigned to Mine Countermeasures Group 3' under Captain Richard Owens. On 1 November 1994 a reorganization of the U.S. Navy's Mine Countermeasures Community took place. Commander, Mine Warfare Command ceased to be Type Commander for the ships homeported in Ingleside, Texas; and a new entity, Naval Surface Group Ingleside, was created to serve as local agent for the new Type Commander, Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic. NSG Ingleside was also intended to give the Ingleside ships "cradle to grave" assistance and supervision. In the new organization, ARDENT was assigned to Mine Countermeasures Squadron 3 (MCMRON 3), still under Captain Richard Owens. ARDENT remained in MCMRON 3 through the end of 1994.
Ardent was featured in a front-page article in the 31 July 2006 edition of DefenceNews that pointed out that Ardent and USS Dextrous were suffering from equipment failures that made them unable to perform their role.
References
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
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