MINE COUNTERMEASURES SHIPS
MINE COUNTERMEASURES SHIPS
SERVICE: Navy
DESCRIPTION: Ships designed to clear mines from vital waterways.
BACKGROUND:
In the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy began development of a new mine countermeasures (MCM) force, which included two new classes of ships and minesweeping helicopters. The vital importance of a state-of-the-art mine countermeasures force was strongly underscored in the Persian Gulf during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, and more recently in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991 when the Avenger (MCM 1) and Guardian (MCM 5) ships conducted MCM operations. Avenger class ships are designed as mine hunter-killers capable of finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines. The last three MCM ships were purchased in 1990. A total of 14 fully deployable, ocean-going Avenger class ships are being constructed. These ships use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control. They are also capable of conventional sweeping measures.The ships are of fiberglass sheathed, wooden hull construction. They are the first large mine countermeasures ships built in the United States in nearly 27 years. All MCM-1 class ships will be based in Ingleside, Texas. Osprey (MHC 51) class ships are also designed as mine hunter-killers. The MHC 51 has a 15-day endurance and depends on a support ship or shore based facilities for resupply. Acme class ships are approximately the same size as, though with improved capabilities over, the Agile and Aggressive classes. Aggressive class ocean-going minesweepers were activated immediately after the Korean War. They can sweep for moored and bottom contact, magnetic and acoustic mines. One remains on active service and five others are assigned to the Naval Reserves.
