Osprey class coastal minehunter - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Coastal minehunter

Coastal Minehunters are ships that are designed to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom mines from vital waterways. Coastal minehunters are generally smaller and with lower sea-keeping and endurance than ocean going minehunters. They are usually tasked with keeping a fixed high value choke...

s are designed to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom naval mine

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

s 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 metres (196.9 ft) Hunt class minehunters) to be constructed entirely of fiberglass

Fiberglass

Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...

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

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

. 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

Black Hawk (chief)

Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...

, a chief of the Sauk American Indian tribe.

Decommissioning

All of these ships were decommissioned in 2006–07. The Hellenic Navy

Hellenic Navy

The Hellenic Navy is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence...

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

USS Kingfisher (MHC-56)

USS Kingfisher was the sixth ship of Osprey-class coastal mine hunters. She is named after the kingfisher.Kingfisher was decommissioned in a joint ceremony along with three other Coastal Mine Hunters. She was transferred to a Naval Inactive Ships Storage Facility to await transfer under Foreign...

& MHC-57 Cormorant

USS Cormorant (MHC-57)

USS Cormorant is the seventh ship of Osprey class coastal mine hunters.Current StatusThe US Senate has approved the sale of the ship to India along with MCH-56 Kingfisher in September 2010....

to the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...

Ships

Ship	Hull No.	Builder	Commissioned– Decommissioned	NVR Page
Osprey USS Osprey (MHC-51) USS Osprey is the lead ship of Osprey class coastal mine hunters, and the fourth U.S. Navy ship of that name....	MHC-51	Intermarine USA	1993–2006	MHC51
Heron USS Heron (MHC-52) The USS Heron is the second ship of .Heron was transferred to the Hellenic Navy under a foreign military sales agreement on 16 March 2007. Heron will be renamed Kalipso.-References:...	MHC-52	Intermarine USA	1994–2007	MHC52
Pelican USS Pelican (MHC-53) USS Pelican was the third and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name of the bird. From 1 January 1997 on, the Pelican was part of the Naval Reserve Force. In that role the ship was used as training platform for naval reservists. Both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy List on 16 March...	MHC-53	Avondale Shipyard Avondale Shipyard Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. Now, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard is part of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The yard is located on the West Bank of the Mississippi... , Westwego	1995–2007	MHC53
Robin USS Robin (MHC-54) USS Robin was an in the United States Navy and is the fourth ship named for the robin. Robins keel was laid on 2 June 1992 and she was commissioned on 11 May 1996, at Naval Station Ingleside, Ingleside, Texas. She was decommissioned on 15 June 2006 and currently awaits disposal from the reserve...	MHC-54	Avondale Shipyard	1996–2006	MHC54
Oriole USS Oriole (MHC-55) USS Oriole is the fifth ship of Osprey class coastal mine hunters....	MHC-55	Intermarine USA	1995–2006	MHC55
Kingfisher USS Kingfisher (MHC-56) USS Kingfisher was the sixth ship of Osprey-class coastal mine hunters. She is named after the kingfisher.Kingfisher was decommissioned in a joint ceremony along with three other Coastal Mine Hunters. She was transferred to a Naval Inactive Ships Storage Facility to await transfer under Foreign...	MHC-56	Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport	1996–2007	MHC56
Cormorant USS Cormorant (MHC-57) USS Cormorant is the seventh ship of Osprey class coastal mine hunters.Current StatusThe US Senate has approved the sale of the ship to India along with MCH-56 Kingfisher in September 2010....	MHC-57	Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport	1997–2007	MHC57
Black Hawk USS Black Hawk (MHC-58) USS Black Hawk was the eighth ship of Osprey-class coastal mine hunters.She was commissioned 11 May 1996 and decommissioned 1 December 2007. As of December 2007, she is laid up in the Beaumont Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, awaiting disposal....	MHC-58	Intermarine USA	1996–2007	MHC58
Falcon USS Falcon (MHC-59) USS Falcon is the ninth ship of Osprey-class coastal minehunters. She is named after the falcon....	MHC-59	Intermarine USA	1997–2006	MHC59
Cardinal USS Cardinal (MHC-60) USS Cardinal was the tenth Osprey-class coastal mine hunter in the United States Navy. She was commissioned on 18 October 1997, decommissioned on 7 January 2007 and sold to Egypt....	MHC-60	Intermarine USA	1997–2007	MHC60
Raven USS Raven (MHC-61) USS Raven , an Osprey-class coastal minehunter, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the raven. The contract to build her was awarded to Intermarine USA in Savannah, Georgia on 31 March 1993 and her keel was laid down on 1 April 1995...	MHC-61	Intermarine USA	1998–2007	MHC61
Shrike USS Shrike (MHC-62) USS Shrike is the twelfth and last ship of Osprey-class coastal mine hunters.-External links:*...	MHC-62	Intermarine USA	1999–2007	MHC62

External links

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Construction

Decommissioning

Ships

See also

External links