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The Qahir al Amwaj, the first of two 1,400-ton “Project Muheet” corvettes for the Sultanate of Oman Navy, was launched at Southampton, England,
on 21 September 1994 by Vosper Thorny- croft. The 275-foot ship, whose name means “Conqueror of the Waves,” will be the largest combatant in the Omani fleet when commissioned in June 1996 after extensive trials and training. She will be followed into service a year later by the Al Mua’zzar (“The Supported”). Both will carry eight \1M 40 Exocet Block II antiship missiles, an octuple launcher for the Crotale NG surface-to- air missile system, an OTO Melara 76-mm dual-purpose gun, a 30-mm Signaal Goalkeeper close-in weapon system for missile defense, two single 20-mm cannon, and machine guns. Although there w ill be a helicopter deck (but no hangar), no antisubmarine weapons or sensors were provided in the design as ordered; the presence of Kilo- class submarines in the nearby Iranian Navy, however, has prompted a search for a suitable add-on towed sonar system. The corvettes are powered by four 8,000- horsepower Pielstick diesels.
The Shaibal, the former British “River”- class steel-hulled minesweeper Helford, is seen in training prior to her departure for Bangladesh in October 1994. Three other ships of the class, all completed only a decade ago, also were sold to Bangladesh. Of the 12 ships in the class, 5 remain in British service and 3 others are for sale. The “Rivers” were intended to operate in pairs with a wire sweep stretched between them to sweep deep-moored mines, but they were used primarily as naval reserve training ships and fisheries protection vessels. The four sold to Bangladesh retain wire sweep equipment and will provide the country’s first mine countermeasures capability, while also being able to act as patrol vessels; main armament is a single, hand-operated 40-mm gun.
The 16,695-ton U.S. Navy dock landing ship Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) is seen here in the final stages of fitting out at Avon
dale Shipyard prior to her expected commissioning in early 1995. First of a class of four ships, the Harpers Ferry is a modification of the preceding Wliidbey Island (LSD-41) class, optimized for increased cargo capacity at the expense of a shorter well-deck that is able to accommodate only two LCACs or a single LCU instead of four LCACs or two LCUs. There originally were to have been a dozen ships in this “LSD-41CV” (cargo variant) class, but further procurement was abandoned in favor of the development of the far larger LSD- 17 (formerly LX) class. Like the Whidbey Island class, the Harpers Ferry is propelled by four Colt-Pielstick diesels. In addition to the crew of 413, the ship can carry 402 Marines (or up to 504 in an emergency). Sister Carter Hall (LSD-50) was launched in October 1993 and the Oak Hill (LSD-51) in June 1994; the Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) was due to be laid down at the end of 1994 for delivery in July 1998.
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