command and control for major amphibious operations.With the latest command and control facilitiesavailable, these ships have become fleet flagships. Theyare capable of supporting a naval amphibious task force,a landing force, and an air force simultaneously.Mine Warfare Ships.—Mine countermeasuresships (MCM) are ships designed to clear mines fromvital waterways. In the early 1980s, the U.S. Navybegan development of a new mine countermeasures(MCM) force, which included two new classes of shipsand minesweeping helicopters. The Iran-Iraq war andOperation Desert Shield/Desert Storm showed theimportance of a state-of-the-art mine countermeasuresforce when the Avenger (MCM 1) and Guardian (MCM5) ships conducted MCM operations.Avenger class ships are designed as minehunter-killers capable of finding, classifying, anddestroying moored and bottom mines. These ships usesonar and video systems, cable cutters, and amine-detonating device that can be released anddetonated by remote control. They are also capable ofconventional sweeping measures. The ships are offiberglass sheathed, wooden hull construction. They arethe first large mine countermeasures ships built in theUnited States in nearly 27 years. (See fig. 8-31.)Osprey (MHC 51) class ships are also designed asmine hunter-killers. The MHC 51 has a 15-dayendurance and depends on a support ship or shore-basedfacilities for resupply. Ships under this class are namedafter birds.REVIEW 4 QUESTIONSQ1. List the four categories of ships.a.b.c.d.Q2. List the six classes of warships.8-25Figure 8-29.—USS LA Moure County (LST 1194).Photograph courtesy of PH2 John SokolowskiFigure 8-30.—USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20).Student Notes:Photograph courtesy of SGT Don L. MayesFigure 8-28.—Landing craft air cushion (LCAC).Figure 8-31.—USS Chief.
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