Big Wooden Boat Retires

The third USS Ardent (MCM-12) is an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship in the United States Navy. The Ardent’s homeport is San Diego, California and is part of the US 3rd Fleet.

She was built by Peterson Shipbuilders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her keel laid down on October 22, 1990, launched on November 16, 1991 and subsequently commissioned February 18, 1994. To reduce her magnetic signature Ardent was constructed with a unique glass-reinforced, plastic-sheathed wooden hull.  The Avenger-class MCM ships built by Peterson revived wooden-hulled ship construction for the modern US Navy.  Her maiden voyage from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin commenced on October 30, 1993 with a transit through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

Following arrival at her homeport of Ingleside, Texas on December 15, 1993 - Ardent was forward deployed to the Persian Gulf in March 1996. She was transported to the Gulf via commercial heavy-lift vessel Sea Swift in order to prolong the engine life of the ship and reduce her transit time from 60 days (under her own power) to 30 days. The crew was flown from Ingleside to join the ship in late March. 

US Navy

Working from Manama, Bahrain she participated in anti-mine, anti-submarine and maritime security operations independently and in cooperation with multi-national partners. This eventually became her permanent homeport. 

November 3, 2013 Ardent departed Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Bahrain, after being loaded aboard commercial heavy-lift vessel M/V Eide Transporter to be returned to her new homeport of San Diego, California.  

While stationed in the gulf - Ardent’s mission was to clear the ocean bottom and water volume of anti-ship mines. A combination of stealth, endurance, and the latest mine countermeasures technology allowed Ardent to conduct sustained, full-spectrum, mine countermeasures operations in one of the world’s critical maritime regions. 

US Navy

Specific advantages and capabilities included the ship’s low magnetic signature diesel engines, a degaussing system and wooden hull, which reduce the ship’s vulnerability to magnetic-influence mines.  

A precise navigation system and high frequency sonar allowed Ardent to locate, plot, classify and report suspected mines with great accuracy.   

Three minesweeping systems (mechanical, acoustic, magnetic) were used to destroy mines.  Two rigid hulled inflatable boats are used to carry divers and mark suspected mines; and a remotely controlled mine neutralization system used to identify suspected mines and destroy them with explosive charges. 

A product of intense research and unique construction, Ardent played a vital role in the Middle East to maintain uninterrupted access to one of the world’s strategic waterways. 

Ardent is 224 feet in length, has a beam of 39 feet and displaces approximately 1,320 tons fully loaded. The ship is crewed by six officers and 76 enlisted personnel. 

Ardent held a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on August 17 and will be officially decommissioned on 27th of this month.  

US Navy

You can review the chronology of Ardent's active duty here.  

Thank you to the ship and crews of the Ardent for your service.  

- Factual content - Navy.mil