Osprey (MHC 51) class ships are mine hunter-killers capable of finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines. Eleven of the twelve Osprey-class Coastal Minehunter are assigned to the
Reserve and homeported at Ingleside, TX. The MHC 51 has a 15-day endurance and depends on a support ship or shore based facilities for resupply. This mine hunter (coastal) is
designed to operate from CONUS bases against enemy bottom and
moored mines. It is the first US Navy mine countermeasures ship to be constructed of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). The design is based on the Italian Navy Lerici Class. Voith-Schneider rotors replace the conventional propellers of the MCM and MSO classes. The ship will have modular sweep systems which can be installed as needed.
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 in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. Avenger class ships are also designed as mine hunter-killers.
Overall Length: 188 ft Specifications | |
| Builders |
Avondale Industries Inc., Gulfport, MS MHC 53, 54, 56, 57 Intermarine USA, Savannah, GA MHC 51, 52, 55, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62 |
| Power Plant | Two diesels (800 hp each); two Voith-Schneider (cycloidal) propulsion systems |
| Length | 188 feet (57.3 meters) |
| Beam | 36 feet (11 meters) |
| Draft (Navigation) | 12 ft 1 in |
| Displacement | 893 tons (804 metric tons) full load |
| Speed | 10 knots (18.4 kmph) |
| Crew | 5 officers, 46 enlisted |
| Combat 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 Two .50 caliber machine guns |
| Unit Operating Cost Annual Average | ~$3,000,000 [source: [FY1996 VAMOSC] |
Ships | ||||||
| Name | Number | Builder | Homeport | Ordered | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
| Osprey | MHC 51 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 22 May 1987 | 23 Aug 1993 | |
| Heron | MHC 52 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 17 Feb 1989 | 22 Jul 1994 | |
| Pelican | MHC 53 | Avondale | Ingleside | 03 Oct 1989 | 18 Nov 1995 | |
| Robin | MHC 54 | Avondale | Ingleside | 02 Aug 1990 | 11 May 1996 | |
| Oriole | MHC 55 | Intermarine | Ingelside | 01 Apr 1991 | 16 Sep 1995 | |
| Kingfisher | MHC 56 | Avondale | Ingleside | 29 Mar 1991 | 26 Oct 1996 | |
| Cormorant | MHC 57 | Avondale | Ingleside | 29 Mar 1991 | 12 Apr 1997 | |
| Black Hawk | MHC 58 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 22 Apr 1992 | 11 May 1996 | |
| Falcon | MHC 59 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 22 Apr 1992 | 08 Feb 1997 | |
| Cardinal | MHC 60 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 22 Apr 1992 | 18 Oct 1997 | |
| Raven | MHC 61 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 31 Mar 1993 | 05 Sep 1998 | |
| Shrike | MHC 62 | Intermarine | Ingleside | 31 Mar 1993 | 31 May 1999 | |
