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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Ship Photo Archive
Left patch courtesy of Tommy Trampp, right patch Mike Smolinski

Defender (MCM 2)



Call sign:
November - Papa - Bravo - Alpha
Avenger Class Mine Countermeasures Ship:

  • Built by Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, WI
  • Ordered, 02 May 1983
  • Laid down, 01 December 1983
  • Launched, 04 April 1987
  • Commissioned, 30 September 1989
  • Decommissioned at San Diego, 01 October 2014
  • Stricken from Naval Register same day
  • Sold to Marine Group Boat Works, San Diego, for scrapping, 03 November 2014
  • Final fate, demilitarized and dismantled by Whillock Contracting, Inc., San Diego, by May 2015 1
    1. Other sources, including Wikipedia, are inaccurate in stating she was part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet "as of 2019."
    Specifications:

  • Displacement 1,040 tons
  • Length 210'
  • Beam 38'
  • Draft 10' 6"
  • Speed 14 knots
  • Complement 81
  • Armament: Two M2HB .50 cal. machine guns, two M60 7.62 mm machine guns, two Mk19 grenade launchers
  • Propulsion: Four Waukesha Motors Co. diesel engines, two controllable reversible pitch propellers, two shafts, two electric light load propulsion motors
  • Auxiliary Systems: Three Waukesha ship service diesel generator sets, one solar gas turbine generator, one omnithruster bow thruster system
  • Electronic systems: One AN/SSN-2 Precise Integrated Navigation System (PINS), one AN/SQQ-32 Mine Hunting Sonar, one AN/SPS-55 Surface Radar. one AN/WSN-2 Gyro Compass
  • Mine Countermeasure Equipment Suite: One AN/SLQ-48 (V) Mine Neutralization System, one AN/SQL-37 (V) 3 Magnetic/Acoustic Influence Minesweeping Gear, Oropesa type 0 size 1 Mechanical
    Sweep Equipment, MDG 1701 Marconi Magnetometer Degaussing System.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Defender (MCM 2)
    Defender 138k Ships plans Tommy Trampp
    Defender 98k
    Defender 80k Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR, Ret.
    Defender 102k
    Defender 120k
    Defender 100k
    Defender 114k
    Defender 263k 15 August 1989
    U.S. Navy photo 330-CFD-DN-SC-90-03351 from National Museum of the U.S. Navy    		 Michael Mohl
    Defender 269k c. 1996
    Ingleside, TX
    U.S. Navy photo by L. Burkhart    		 Tommy Trampp
    Robin 415k 8 August 1998
    Annapolis, MD
    USS Robin (MHC 54), forward of Defender. Both ships are visiting the U.S. Naval Academy
    U.S. Navy photo 980808-N-4912M-002 by Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret)    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Defender 79k 6 June 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Defender     is moored to historic Navy Pier in downtown Chicago with the city's famous skyline in the background. The nation's tallest building, the 1,450-foot Sears Tower, is the black building with the white spires. Defender is visiting "the Windy City" as part of the Navy's Great Lakes Cruise 2000. The Navy sponsors the annual cruise to raise awareness of the Navy for the people of the Great Lakes Region and to promote recruiting.
    Defense Visual Information Center photo 000606-N-8321M-005 by Lt. Scott McIlnay.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Defender 165k 12 June 2004
    The Ingleside, Texas-based Defender arrives in Pearl Harbor following her deployment in support of operations and exercises in the Pacific Ocean. The bow of Missouri (BB 63) can be seen off her port quarter.
    Defense Visual Information Center photo 040612-N-3019M-001 by Journalist Seaman Ryan C. McGinley.
    Defender 178k 7 July 2004
    Pearl Harbor, HI during RIMPAC 04    		 Jack Treutle
    Avenger/Defender 137k c. 2005
    Avenger (MCM 1) and Defender at hurricane mooring.    		 HMC(SW) Charles T. Canterbury, IDC
    MHC Crew Gallant
    USS Shrike (MHC 62)
    Scout 221k 23 September 2005
    Ingleside, TX
    In preparation of Hurricane Rita, mine countermeasures ships home ported at Naval Station Ingleside nest in a modified mooring. Ships present (left to right): Unknown, Scout (MCM 8), unknown, Sentry (MCM 3), Champion (MCM 4), Pioneer (MCM 9), Chief (MCM 14), Gladiator (MCM 11), Avenger (MCM 1) and Defender.
    U.S. Navy photo 050923-N-4913K-006 by Fifi Kieschnick    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Defender 300k 3 June 2009
    Sasebo, Japan
    Entering the submerged deck of the Military Sealift Command heavy-lift vessel Condock IV during a float-on/float-off evolution in Sasebo basin
    U.S. Navy photo 090603-N-0807W-095 by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl    		 Bill Gonyo
    Defender 183k 22 May 2010
    Pacific Ocean
    Defender receives lines from JS Uraga (MST 463) in preparation for astern refueling practice between U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The crew conducted exchanges and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty during a port visit to Okinawa, Japan
    U.S. Navy photo 100522-N-xxxxx-824    		 Robert Hurst
    Defender 492k 27 May 2010
    Sasebo, Japan
    U.S. Navy photo 100527-N-8335D-227 by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Richard Doolin    		 Bill Gonyo
    Defender 272k 1 October 2014
    San Diego, CA
    The mine countermeasures ship Defender is prepared for its decommissioning ceremony. Defender decommissioned after 25 years of service
    U.S. Navy photo 141001-N-VO234-037 by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Conor Minto    		 Ron Reeves
    Defender
    Defender 188k 14 January 2015
    Naval Station San Diego, CA    		 ENC Pete Skoutas
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Charles Scott Johnson, USN30 September 1989 - 10 May 1991
    02CDR David William Prothero, USN - USNA Class of 197910 May 1991 - 28 May 1993
    03LCDR John Joseph Muldoon, USN - USNA Class of 197928 May 1993 - 24 January 1995
    04LCDR James Douglas Bradford, USN24 January 1995 - 9 August 1996
    05CDR Andrew Bruce Fuller, USN - USNA Class of 19829 August 1996 - 21 July 1998
    06LCDR Thomas Martin Negus, USN21 July 1998 - 19 February 2000
    07CDR Aaron Charles Jacobs, USN19 February 2000 - 12 October 2001
    08LCDR Karl Allan Hilberg, USN12 October 2001 - 25 June 2003
    09CDR Paul Herbert Hogue, Jr., USN25 June 2003 - 30 July 2005
    10LCDR Patrick Tyler Britt, USN30 July 2005 - 11 August 2006
    11LCDR Benjamin R. Nicholson, USNMay 11 August 2006 - 01 May 2007
    12LCDR Mark Raymond Rios, USN - USNA Class of 198201 May 2007 - 04 December 2007
    13LCDR Michael Enrique Morera, USN04 December 2007 - 01 October 2008
    14LCDR Patrick Henry O'Mahoney, USN - USNA Class of 199901 October 2008 - 10 March 2010
    15LCDR Andria Lee Slough, USN - USNA Class of 1998
    Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal    		10 March 2010 - 15 April 2011
    16LCDR Todd Spooner Levant, USN15 April 2011 - 21 July 2012
    17LCDR Gordon Scott Wells, USN21 July 2012 - 31 January 2014
    18LCDR James Linn Correia, USN31 January 2014 - 15 July 2014
    19LCDR James Joseph Sordi, Jr., USN - Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals and two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals15 July 2014 - 01 October 2014 (Crew Persistent)
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves, Joe Radigan and Richard W. Mattie
    View the Defender (MCM 2)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
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    This page was created by Gary P. Priolo & maintained by Joseph M. Radigan & David L. Wright
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    Last Updated 14 December 2023