Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship
The USS Avenger (MCM-1) underway in Hawaiian waters in July 2004 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Preceded by | Ability-class minesweeper |
| Succeeded by | Littoral combat ship |
| In commission | 1987 |
| Completed | 14 |
| Active | 8 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 5 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Mine countermeasures ship |
| Displacement | 1,312 tons |
| Length | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 8 officers, 76 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships are a class of 14 ships constructed for the United States Navy from 1987 to 1994, designed to clear mines from vital waterways. The ships have the hull designator MCM.
The Avenger-class ships are being replaced by the Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships, as well as other MCM platforms, which use various unmanned air, surface, and undersea vehicles to detect and destroy naval mines at a standoff distance.