Osprey class minehunter

For other ship classes of the same name, see Osprey class.

USS Raven in the Persian Gulf, 2004
Class overview
Name:	Osprey
Builders:	Intermarine USA Avondale Shipyard
Operators:	U.S. Navy (former) Hellenic Navy Egyptian Navy Lithuanian Navy Turkish Navy  Republic of China Navy
Succeeded by:	Avenger-class
In commission:	1993 - 2007
Completed:	12
Active:	2 with Hellenic Navy 2 with Egyptian Navy 2 with Lithuanian Navy 2 with Turkish Navy 2 with ROC(Taiwan) Navy 2 to be Transferred to Indian Navy
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 except for MHC-58 Black Hawk, which was named for Black Hawk, a chief of the Sauk American Indian tribe.^[1]

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). 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 & MHC-57 Cormorant to the Indian Navy.^[2][3]

Ships

Ship	Hull No.	Builder	Commissioned– Decommissioned	NVR Page
Osprey	MHC-51	Intermarine USA	1993–2006	MHC51
Heron	MHC-52	Intermarine USA	1994–2007	MHC52
Pelican	MHC-53	Avondale Shipyard, Westwego	1995–2007	MHC53
Robin	MHC-54	Avondale Shipyard	1996–2006	MHC54
Oriole	MHC-55	Intermarine USA	1995–2006	MHC55
Kingfisher	MHC-56	Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport	1996–2007	MHC56
Cormorant	MHC-57	Avondale Shipyard, Gulfport	1997–2007	MHC57
Black Hawk	MHC-58	Intermarine USA	1996–2007	MHC58
Falcon	MHC-59	Intermarine USA	1997–2006	MHC59
Cardinal	MHC-60	Intermarine USA	1997–2007	MHC60
Raven	MHC-61	Intermarine USA	1998–2007	MHC61
Shrike	MHC-62	Intermarine USA	1999–2007	MHC62

See also

• Lerici class minehunter - The Italian ship design on which the Osprey class was based

References

1. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/mhc-58.htm
2. ^ US Senate OKs transfer of two minehunters to India
3. ^ US senate approves sale of 2 Osprey-class minehunters to India

• PEO Ships: Mine Warfare
• Federation of American Scientists: MHC 51 Osprey Coastal Mine Hunters
• This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Osprey Class Coastal Minehunter, USA
• GlobalSecurity.org: MHC 51 Osprey Coastal Mine Hunters
• NavSource.org: Coastal Minesweeper/Coastal Minehunter Index