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USS McInerney (FFG-8)
Encyclopedia
USS McInerney (FFG-8), second ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class
of guided-missile frigate
s, is the first United States Navy
ship named for Vice Admiral Francis X. McInerney (1899–1956). Ordered from Bath Iron Works
on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, McInerney was laid down on 16 January 1978, launched
on 4 November 1978, and commissioned
on 15 December 1979.
.
McInerneys first major deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean began in November 1982. During this deployment she embarked a LAMPS Mk-I (SH-2 Seasprite) helicopter detachment. McInerney made brief port visits to Tangiers, Morocco, and Catania, Sicily and supported the Multi-National Force in Beirut
, Lebanon (earning her the Navy Expeditionary Medal). After transiting the Suez Canal, McInerney operated in the Indian Ocean and made port calls to Karachi, Pakistan, Columbo, Sri Lanka, and Mombasa, Kenya. She also crossed the equator
enroute to Diego Garcia
. Following this deployment, McInerney operated in the Caribbean and visited Port Limon, Costa Rica and Tela, Honduras. She received the Coast Guard Operational Meritorious Unit Citation for her efforts in law enforcement during this period.
In October 1984, McInerney deployed again to the Middle East
in the midst of the Iran
/Iraq
Tanker War. She had now been fitted with the Phalanx CIWS and also carried a LAMPS Mk-I (SH-2 Seasprite) helicopter detachment. During this deployment she visited ports in Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Palma, Spain. McInerney returned from this cruise in March 1985, and conducted law enforcement operations and other fleet exercises. In May 1986, McInerney began a 10 month-long overhaul (extended Selected Restricted Availability) in Boston, MA. During this yard period she received the AN/SQQ-89(V)2 Anti-Submarine Warfare Suite, fin stabilizers, and the Single Audio System. The RAST equipment was also reinstalled and made operational.
In August 1988, McInerney was underway for her third deployment— this one to the Mediterranean. This deployment was highlighted by McInerney being awarded the COMSIXTHFLT “Hook ‘Em” Award for excellence in Anti-Submarine Warfare and a Meritorious Unit Commendation
. McInerney returned from the Mediterranean in February 1989, and departed for the Northern Atlantic in the spring of 1989. Anti-Submarine Warfare operations led the McInerney above the Arctic Circle
, and McInerney returned to Mayport
in May 1989.
in support of coalition forces against Iraq. McInerney performed in every warfare area during the conflict, including convoy
escort, mine
, anti-air and anti-surface operations. McInerney earned the Navy Unit Commendation
, the National Service Defense Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal
with Bronze Star, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
for her wartime service.
The ship returned from the Middle East in July 1991 after escorting more than 50 merchant vessels through the mine-swept waters to Kuwait ports. Her continued, proven prowess earned her the Battle “E” for efficiency, and the COMNAVSURFLANT ASW Award, designating her as the top AN/SQQ-89-configured ASW platform on the East Coast. McInerneys humanitarian efforts include assisting the tug Taurus in the Jacksonville
Operating Area, transferring a wounded merchant seaman during the Tanker War, rescuing Sailors from the sinking motor vessel Jenneastar in the Mediterranean and escorting merchant ships carrying needed supplies to the ports of Kuwait through mine-swept channels in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.
In 1999, McInerney participated in the UNITAS 40-99 deployment to South America.
ian fishing vessel in which nearly 10 tons of cocaine were seized. For her efforts throughout the deployment, McInerney was awarded the Humanitarian Award and the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation.
On September 13, 2008, McInerney, working with Coast Guard
Law Enforcement Detachment
404, intercepted a 59-foot self-propelled semisubmersible carrying seven tons of cocaine off the coast of Guatemala
. Four Colombian
drug smugglers were captured aboard. The cargo had an estimated street value of $187 million.
On October 5, 2009, McInerney left Mayport Naval Station on its final deployment.
On 3 April 2010, an MQ-8 Fire Scout from McInerney helped to confiscate 60 kg of cocaine from a speedboat.
and the Arms Export Control Act
, Pakistan is considered a "major non-NATO ally", able to receive older unneeded US military equipment. Additionally, the 32-year old frigate will be given a US$65 million refurbishment including anti-submarine capability paid for with foreign military aid provided by the U.S. to friendly countries.
PNS Alamgir will receive a mostly mechanical overhaul, which has to be conducted in the US as part of the deal. All four diesels were removed and overhauled, along with air conditioning units and refrigeration. Fuel oil tanks and voids were cleaned, inspected, repaired and painted. All shafting was removed and renovated. The controllable pitch propeller system was overhauled. Sea valves were removed and either repaired or replaced, and almost every pump was opened and inspected and overhauled as needed. Ventilators and fans went through a similar process of inspection and overhaul. Breakers, NR3 switchboard, windlass, and boat davit all got inspections and overhauls. Completely new equipment includes a new navigation suite and bridge, the composite dome over the fully overhauled AN/SQS-56 sonar, and a VIP cabin.
The crew of PNS Alamgir moved aboard in December 2010, and are being qualified in firefighting and damage control, PMS and 3-M, and trained to U.S. Navy PQS standards. Sea trials are expected in mid-late January 2011, with a goal of sailing PNS Alamgir away on 10 February 2011. On 24 March 2011 it docked in the British North Atlantic territory of Bermuda
.
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...
of guided-missile frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, is the first United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ship named for Vice Admiral Francis X. McInerney (1899–1956). Ordered from Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, McInerney was laid down on 16 January 1978, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 4 November 1978, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 15 December 1979.
1980s
McInerneys mission was to provide multi-threat protection for military and merchant shipping, amphibious task forces and underway replenishment groups. During her first two years of service, McInerney was the US Navy test platform for the LAMPS MK-III(SH-60B helicopter) anti-submarine warfare system and the Recovery Assist, Secure, and Traverse (RAST) system. Her efforts during this period earned her a Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
.
McInerneys first major deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean began in November 1982. During this deployment she embarked a LAMPS Mk-I (SH-2 Seasprite) helicopter detachment. McInerney made brief port visits to Tangiers, Morocco, and Catania, Sicily and supported the Multi-National Force in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon (earning her the Navy Expeditionary Medal). After transiting the Suez Canal, McInerney operated in the Indian Ocean and made port calls to Karachi, Pakistan, Columbo, Sri Lanka, and Mombasa, Kenya. She also crossed the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
enroute to Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
. Following this deployment, McInerney operated in the Caribbean and visited Port Limon, Costa Rica and Tela, Honduras. She received the Coast Guard Operational Meritorious Unit Citation for her efforts in law enforcement during this period.
In October 1984, McInerney deployed again to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in the midst of the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
/Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
Tanker War. She had now been fitted with the Phalanx CIWS and also carried a LAMPS Mk-I (SH-2 Seasprite) helicopter detachment. During this deployment she visited ports in Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Palma, Spain. McInerney returned from this cruise in March 1985, and conducted law enforcement operations and other fleet exercises. In May 1986, McInerney began a 10 month-long overhaul (extended Selected Restricted Availability) in Boston, MA. During this yard period she received the AN/SQQ-89(V)2 Anti-Submarine Warfare Suite, fin stabilizers, and the Single Audio System. The RAST equipment was also reinstalled and made operational.
In August 1988, McInerney was underway for her third deployment— this one to the Mediterranean. This deployment was highlighted by McInerney being awarded the COMSIXTHFLT “Hook ‘Em” Award for excellence in Anti-Submarine Warfare and a Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
. McInerney returned from the Mediterranean in February 1989, and departed for the Northern Atlantic in the spring of 1989. Anti-Submarine Warfare operations led the McInerney above the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, and McInerney returned to Mayport
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
in May 1989.
1990s
McInerney deployed to the Middle East in January 1991 and was awarded her second “Hook ‘Em” Award after a brief ASW operation in the Mediterranean Sea. McInerney then entered the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in support of coalition forces against Iraq. McInerney performed in every warfare area during the conflict, including convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
escort, 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...
, anti-air and anti-surface operations. McInerney earned the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
, the National Service Defense Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...
with Bronze Star, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
The Naut Tahrir al-Kuwait was instituted by King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.- Background :...
and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
The Wisam Al-Tahrir was issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.-Description:The Kuwait Liberation Medal was approved by the Kuwait Council of Ministers for award in five classes, generally according to the rank of the recipient...
for her wartime service.
The ship returned from the Middle East in July 1991 after escorting more than 50 merchant vessels through the mine-swept waters to Kuwait ports. Her continued, proven prowess earned her the Battle “E” for efficiency, and the COMNAVSURFLANT ASW Award, designating her as the top AN/SQQ-89-configured ASW platform on the East Coast. McInerneys humanitarian efforts include assisting the tug Taurus in the Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
Operating Area, transferring a wounded merchant seaman during the Tanker War, rescuing Sailors from the sinking motor vessel Jenneastar in the Mediterranean and escorting merchant ships carrying needed supplies to the ports of Kuwait through mine-swept channels in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.
In 1999, McInerney participated in the UNITAS 40-99 deployment to South America.
2000s
McInerney completed a highly successful SOUTHCOM Counter-Drug Operations Deployment in November 2001. The highlight of the deployment was a drug bust of an EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian fishing vessel in which nearly 10 tons of cocaine were seized. For her efforts throughout the deployment, McInerney was awarded the Humanitarian Award and the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation.
On September 13, 2008, McInerney, working with Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
Law Enforcement Detachment
Law Enforcement Detachments
Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct and support law enforcement, interdiction, or security...
404, intercepted a 59-foot self-propelled semisubmersible carrying seven tons of cocaine off the coast of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Four Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
drug smugglers were captured aboard. The cargo had an estimated street value of $187 million.
On October 5, 2009, McInerney left Mayport Naval Station on its final deployment.
On 3 April 2010, an MQ-8 Fire Scout from McInerney helped to confiscate 60 kg of cocaine from a speedboat.
Pakistan Transfer
In September 2008 the US Congress approved the transfer of the frigate to Pakistan with a delivery date of August 2010. Citing the Foreign Assistance ActForeign Assistance Act
The Foreign Assistance Act is a United States Act of Congress. The Act reorganized the structure of existing U.S. foreign assistance programs, separated military from non-military aid, and created a new agency, the United States Agency for International Development to administer those...
and the Arms Export Control Act
Arms Export Control Act
The Arms Export Control Act of 1976 gives the President of the United States the authority to control the import and export of defense articles and defense services. It requires governments that receive weapons from the United States to use them for legitimate self-defense...
, Pakistan is considered a "major non-NATO ally", able to receive older unneeded US military equipment. Additionally, the 32-year old frigate will be given a US$65 million refurbishment including anti-submarine capability paid for with foreign military aid provided by the U.S. to friendly countries.
PNS Alamgir will receive a mostly mechanical overhaul, which has to be conducted in the US as part of the deal. All four diesels were removed and overhauled, along with air conditioning units and refrigeration. Fuel oil tanks and voids were cleaned, inspected, repaired and painted. All shafting was removed and renovated. The controllable pitch propeller system was overhauled. Sea valves were removed and either repaired or replaced, and almost every pump was opened and inspected and overhauled as needed. Ventilators and fans went through a similar process of inspection and overhaul. Breakers, NR3 switchboard, windlass, and boat davit all got inspections and overhauls. Completely new equipment includes a new navigation suite and bridge, the composite dome over the fully overhauled AN/SQS-56 sonar, and a VIP cabin.
The crew of PNS Alamgir moved aboard in December 2010, and are being qualified in firefighting and damage control, PMS and 3-M, and trained to U.S. Navy PQS standards. Sea trials are expected in mid-late January 2011, with a goal of sailing PNS Alamgir away on 10 February 2011. On 24 March 2011 it docked in the British North Atlantic territory of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
Incidents
On January 21, 2011 the ship was damaged while testing its engines, this resulted in heavy damage to the bow as well as to the pier. The hull of the ship was reported to be crumpled.External links
- USS McInerney official website
- navsource.org: USS McInerney
- USS McInerney (FFG-8) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command