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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Ship Photo Archive
Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Raven (MHC-61)

Call sign:
November - Delta - Mike - Sierra


Raven served the Navies of the United States and Egypt.
Osprey Class Coastal Minehunter:

  • The fourth Raven was laid down 1 April 1995 by Intermarine USA, Savannah, GA
  • Launched 28 August 1996
  • Commissioned USS Raven (MHC 61), 5 August 1998 at Baltimore, MD
  • Transferred 1 September 2000 to the active fleet for permanent deployment in the Persian Gulf, home ported in Manama, Bahrain
  • Decommissioned 7 January 2007, struck from the Navy Register and transferred to Egypt
  • Commissioned al Faruq in July 2007
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 895 Metric Tons
  • Length 188'
  • Beam 36'
  • Draft (Navigation) 9' 5", Draft (Keel) 7'
  • Speed 12 kts.
  • Complement 53
  • Armament: Two .50 cal. machine guns and one man held Stinger missile launcher
  • Propulsion: Two 800hp Isotta Fraschini ID36 SS8V-AM diesel engines; two Voith Schneider vertical axis, cycloidal, controllable pitch propellers, two shafts
  • Electrical Systems: Two ship service diesel generators, one ship service/emergency diesel generator; Monocoque Design glass reinforced plastic monohull design. No longitudinal or transverse hull
    framing. The skin carries all the stresses. The vessel is flexible under shock. Machinery is supported by cradles from the
    main deck
  • Sensors/Navigation Systems AN/SYQ-13 Navigation, Command & Control System, AN/SPS-64(V)9 surface search radar, AN/SPA-25G radar display; AN/UQN-4A sonar sounding set, AN/WSN-2
    stabilized gyrocompass, Hyper-fix radio navigation system, Loran C, Military global positioning system (GPS), AN/BQH-7A expendable bathythermograph set
  • Mine Countermeasures Systems: AN/SLQ-48(V)2 mine neutralization system (MNS), AN/SQQ-32 minehunting sonar.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Raven 24k
    Namesake:

    Raven - A large, black bird of the crow family

    		 Tommy Trampp
    Raven 58k Prior to launching USS Raven Website
    Raven 260k 28 August 1998
    Baltimore Harbor
    Port beam view of Raven underway while entering the harbor at Baltimore, Maryland. She is en route to her commissioning
    U.S. Navy photo 980828-N-4912M-001 by Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret.)    		 Original photo: USS Raven Website
    Replacement photo: Robert M. Cieri
    Raven 269k 28 August 1998
    Baltimore, MD
    Port quarter view of Raven, completing docking operations at Pratt Street Pier No. 4 in the inner harbor, Baltimore, Maryland
    U.S. Navy photo 980828-N-4912M-002 by Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret.)    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Raven 403k 28 August 1998
    Baltimore, MD
    High angle view Raven, being assisted by a U.S. Navy Reserve mechanized landing craft LCM 8 type craft, assigned to Assault Craft Unit Two-27 (ACU2-27), as it conducts mooring operations at Pratt Street Pier No. 4 in the inner harbor, Baltimore, Maryland
    U.S. Navy photo 980828-N-4912M-003 by Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret.)
    Raven 226k 28 August 1998
    Potomac River
    A starboard bow view of Raven, underway on the Potomac River, steaming past of historic Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland, with her crew "manning the rail"
    U.S. Navy photo 980828-N-5992W-001 by JO1 Andrew Wells
    Raven 37k Baltimore, MD USS Raven Website
    Raven 175k 5 September 1998
    Crew members from the U.S. Navy's newest mine warfare ship Raven hold their medals as they run on board to bring the ship to life during commissioning ceremonies in Baltimore, Md.
    DoD photo 980905-N-0132S-0012 by Petty Officer 1st Class S. Todd Stevens, U.S. Navy    		 Bill Gonyo
    Raven 21k - USS Raven Website
    Raven 45k c. 1999
    Approaching Corpus Christi, TX harbor from Naval Station Ingleside, TX before she was deployed to the Persian Gulf.    		 Tom Langford
    Raven 116k Entering Corpus Christi, TX harbor from Naval Station Ingleside, TX before she was deployed to the Persian Gulf.
    Raven 109k
    Cardinal 422k 22 July 2000
    Ingleside, TX
    The USS Cardinal (MHC 60), left and Raven float above the submerged deck of the commercial motor vessel MV Blue Marlin prior to de-ballasting operations which will lift the minehunters onto MV Blue Marlin's deck for transport to the Arabian Gulf.
    U.S. Navy photo 000722-N-0000B-001 by LTJG Chuck Bell    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Raven 68k 22 July 2000
    Ingleside, TX
    Engineers check the positioning of Raven and Cardinal on the deck of the M/V Blue Marlin which was "partially sunk" allowing the coastal minehunters to float onto the transport ship which will carry them to the Arabian Gulf for duty with the Fifth Fleet. Cardinal and Raven will join USS Ardent (MCM 12) and USS Dextrous (MCM 13) which have been forward deployed to the Gulf since 1996
    U.S. Navy photo 000722-N-0000B-002.    		 LTJG Chuck Bell
    Raven 376k 10 November 2003
    Arabian Gulf
    Raven travels through the Arabian Gulf participating in Mine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measuring (MIREM) Program 27. The mission of MIREM is to collect and analyze mine warfare data, which will be used to develop a database, which can be used to weigh decisions on proposed improvements to existing systems or development of new ones
    U.S. Navy photo 031110-N-4374S-002 by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Raven 296k Original photo: c. April 2004
    North Arabian Gulf
    Replacement photo: 23 April 2004
    Raven conducts local operations in the North Arabian Gulf. The coastal mine hunter is forward deployed to Manama, Bahrain, with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander Fifth Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) in support of the Global War on Terrorism
    Defense Visual Information Center photo ID DN-SD-04-10976 by PHC(AW/NAC) Daniel E. Smith, USN    		 Original photo: Jack Treutle
    Replacement photo: Robert Hurst
    Raven 237k 23 April 2004
    North Arabian Sea
    U.S. Navy photo 040423-N-6234S-070 by PHC Daniel E. Smith, USN    		 Bill Gonyo
    Raven 693k 14 June 2004
    Arabian Gulf
    Raven cruises in the water while participating in exercises geared toward fighting the global war on terrorism
    U.S. Navy photo 040619-N-5319A-003 by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Brien Aho    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Raven 360k 14 June 2004
    Arabian Gulf
    Raven cruises alongside USS Dextrous (MCM 13) while conducting training for U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen deployed in the region for a two week summer training cruise
    U.S. Navy photo 040619-N-5319A-006 by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Brien Aho
    Raven 667k 14 June 2004
    Arabian Gulf
    Raven underway while conducting training for U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen deployed in the region for a two week summer training cruise
    U.S. Navy photo 040619-N-5319A-007 by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Brien Aho
    Raven 392k 28 February 2005
    Manama, Bahrain
    The crew "Prestige" forms ranks in front of the Raven. Prestige completed a crew swap with crew "Inflict", March 5, 2005 ending their six-month deployment aboard the forward-deployed Raven
    U.S. Navy photo 050228-N-2445C-001 by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Curtis Cooper
    Raven 438k 19 July 2005
    Persian Gulf
    Raven conducts Surface Action Group operations during exercise Nautical Union. Nautical Union is a joint exercise directed through Commander Destroyer Squadron Five Zero (COMDESRON 50) between the U.S. and coalition forces
    U.S. Navy photo 050719-N-5526M-009 by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Robert R. McRill
    Raven 133k 2 October 2006
    Central Arabian Gulf    		 HMC(SW) Charles T. "Tom" Canterbury, IDC MHC CREW GALLANT / USS CARDINAL (MHC 60)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Samuel Charles-Henry Howard, USN5 September 1998 - 13 August 1999
    02CDR Anthony Wayne Swain, USN13 August 1999 - May 2001
    03LCDR Ian Michael Hall, USNMay 2001 - December 2002
    04LCDR James Robert Midkiff, USN - USNA Class of 1990
    Awarded two Legions of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals and two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals    		16 July 2004 - 9 March 2005
    05LCDR Kenneth S. Long, USN9 March 2005
    06LCDR Michael B. Riley, USN24 August 2005 - 25 February 2006
    07LCDR Derek Andrew Trinque, USN - USNA Class of 1992
    Awarded three Legions of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and the Combat Action Ribbon - RADM (LH) Currently serving (2022) as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Seven; Commander, Task Force 76; and Commander, Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan    		25 February 2006 - 16 June 2006 (Crews Valor and Excel)
    08LCDR Bertram C. Hodge, USN16 June 2006 - 15 October 2006
    09LCDR Todd Alan Braynard, USN15 October 2006 - 7 January 2007
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan
    View the Raven (MHC 61)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
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