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USS Defender (MCM 2)

- Naval Reserve Force -
- decommissioned -


USS DEFENDER was the second AVENGER class Mine Countermeasures ship. Decommissioned on October 1, 2014, the DEFENDER was sold for scrapping to Marine Group Boat Works of San Diego, Calif., on November 3, 2014.

General Characteristics:Keel Laid: 1983
Commissioned: September 30, 1989
Decommissioned: October 1, 2014
Builder: Marinette Marine, Wisconsin
Propulsion System: four diesels
Propellers: two
Length: 224 feet (68.28 meters)
Beam: 39 feet (11.89 meters)
Draft: 11,5 feet (3.5 meters)
Displacement: 1,312 tons
Speed: 14 knots
Armament: Mine neutralization system, two .50 caliber machine guns
Crew: 8 Officers, 76 Enlisted


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS DEFENDER. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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About the Equipment:

USS DEFENDER was built by Marinette Marine Corporation, in Marinette, WI. This 224-foot ship was commissioned on September 30, 1989. The hull is made of laminated wood structure with composite glass exterior sheeting, to prevent the ship from setting off anti-magnetic mines. USS DEFENDER’s propulsion systems are made up of four Waukesha main propulsion diesel engines (600 BHP each), one bowthruster unit (350 BHP), two low speed electric propulsion motors (200 BHP each) and two main propulsion shafts driving controllable pitch propellers. The ship also has three Waukesha ship service diesel generator sets (375 kW each) and one gas turbine magnetic minesweeping generator. USS DEFENDER’s electronic systems include the AN/SSN-2 Precise Integrated Navigation System (PINS), AN/SQQ-30 Sonar, AN/SPS-55 Radar and the AN/WSN-2 Gyro Compass. The ships Mine Countermeasure Equipment Suite includes the AN/SLQ-48 (V) Mine Neutralization System, Magnetic Minesweeping Gear, Acoustic Minesweeping Gear, MDG-1701 Marconi Magnetometer, Degaussing System, and two 50 cal. Machine Guns.

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