Combat Fleets
By Eric Wertheim, Editor, Combat Fleets of the World
Several Allied fleets will benefit from the U.S. Navy's ongoing retirement of dedicated mine countermeasures vessels. As the Osprey class of coastal minehunters retires from service, many of the ships are being transferred abroad. Current plans call for the Oriole (MHC-55), shown here, and the Falcon (MHC-59), both of which were decommissioned in the summer of 2006, to transfer to Taiwan. The Raven (MHC-61) and the Cardinal (MHC-60), which were retired in January 2007, are being transferred to Egypt, while the sisters Kingfisher (MHC-56) and Cormorant (MHC-57) will likely transfer to Lithuania in 2007-08. The Pelican (MHC-53) and Heron (MHC-52) are expected to transfer to Greece later this year. Unconfirmed reports also have two additional, as-yet-unnamed units transferring to Turkey by 2008. All plans to transfer the vessels are currently on hold, however, as U.S. Navy leaders work to ease congressional concerns over the possible loss of mine countermeasures capabilities stemming from the class' early retirement.
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