USNS Salvor (ARS-52) is a Safeguard-class salvage ship, the second United States Navy ship of that name.

Salvor was laid down on 16 September 1983 by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; launched on 28 July 1984; and commissioned on 14 June 1986.

Salvor is the third ship of the auxiliary rescue and salvage class of vessel constructed for the US Navy. The rugged construction of this steel-hulled vessel, combined with her speed and endurance, make Salvor well-suited for rescue and salvage operations throughout the world. The hull below the waterline is ice-strengthened. Her propulsion plant can develop 4200 shaft horsepower with four Caterpillar 399 diesel engines coupled in pairs to two shafts. She is fitted with a Controllable Reversible Pitch (CRP) propeller within a Kort nozzle on each shaft. The CRP propeller/Kort nozzle combination produces greater thrust and more maneuverability control than conventional propellers. Salvor is also configured with a bow thruster which provides athwartship thrust for additional control of the bow when the ship's speed is less than five knots (9 km/h).

In 1995 and again in 2000, Salvor was the United States Pacific Fleet's winner of the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for most battle-ready ship of her type.

USS Salvor was decommissioned and transferred to the Military Sealift Command in January 2007.[1] Salvor was redesignated as USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52).[2][3] The ship has undergone modifications for civilian crewing as well as automation and control system upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Contents [hide] 

1 Mission and capabilities

1.1 Salvage of disabled and stranded vessels

1.2 Retraction of stranded vessels

1.3 Towing

1.4 Manned diving operations

1.5 Mines

1.6 Recovery of submerged objects

1.7 Heavy Lift

1.8 Off-ship fire-fighting

1.9 Emergency ship salvage material

2 Operational accomplishments

3 Operational history as USS Salvor

3.1 Maiden voyage

3.2 Training and local operations

3.3 First Western Pacific deployment

3.4 Pearl Harbor salvage operations and Southern Pacific deployment

3.5 First Eastern Pacific deployment

3.6 RIMPAC '90

3.7 Second Western Pacific deployment

3.8 World-record salvage

3.9 Eastern Pacific towing operations

3.10 RIMPAC '94 and more Eastern Pacific towing operations

3.11 Emergent salvage tasks, the Bering Strait, and dry dock

3.12 Third Western Pacific deployment 1996

3.13 1997 Hawaii operations

3.14 Fourth Western Pacific deployment

3.15 1999-2001 Hawaii operations and Eastern Pacific deployments

4 Operational history as USNS Salvor

4.1 2012 SINKEX towing

4.2 Towing of HMCS Protecteur

4.3 TBF Avenger wreckage investigation

4.4 Orion spacecraft recovery operations

4.5 MV-22B Osprey recovery operations near Okinawa

4.6 MV-22B Osprey recovery near Australia

5 References

6 External links

Mission and capabilities[edit]

Like all Safeguard class rescue and salvage ships, Salvor serves as an element of the United States Navy's Combat Logistics Support Force and provides rescue and salvage services to the fleet at sea. She also supported the protection of forces ashore through post-assault salvage operations in close proximity to the shore. She is designed to perform combat salvage, lifting, towing, off-ship firefighting, manned diving operations, and emergency repairs to stranded or disabled vessels.[4][5][6]

Salvage of disabled and stranded vessels[edit]

Disabled or stranded ships might require various types of assistance before retraction or towing can be attempted. In her 21,000 cubic feet (590 m3) salvage holds,[clarification needed] Salvor carries transportable cutting and welding equipment, hydraulic and electric power sources, and de-watering gear. Salvor also has salvage and machine shops, and hull repair materials to effect temporary hull repairs on stranded or otherwise damaged ships.[4][5]

Retraction of stranded vessels[edit]

Salvor and other ships towed the grounded USS Port Royal (CG-73) off a reef near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in February 2009.[7]

Stranded vessels can be retracted from a beach or reef by the use of Salvor's towing machine and propulsion. Additional retraction force can be applied to a stranded vessel through the use of up to six legs of beach gear, consisting of 6,000-pound (2,700 kg) STATO anchors, wire rope, chain, and salvage buoys. In a typical configuration, two legs of beach gear are rigged on board Salvor, and up to four legs of beach are rigged to the stranded vessel.[8]

In addition to the standard legs of beach gear, Salvor carries 4 spring buoys. The spring buoys are carried beneath the port and starboard bridge wings and are painted bright orange.[9] Each spring buoy weighs approximately 3,100 pounds (1,400 kg), is 10 feet (3.0 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, provides a net buoyancy of 7½ tons, and can withstand 125 tons of pull-through force.[8] The spring buoys are used with beach gear legs rigged from a stranded vessel when deep water is found seaward of the stranded vessel.

Towing[edit]

Ocean Towing Operations as USS Salvor

Vessel Location Date

AFDB 1B, AFDB 2E (floating dry docks) Subic Bay, Philippines to Pearl Harbor Hawaii (ADFB 1B) passed to USS Brunswick November- December 1987.[10]

Ex-USS Hector Pearl Harbor operating areas (synthetic line experiment) May 1989.[11]

USS Conquest Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Kwajelein to Subic Bay, Philippines September–October 1987.[10]

Ex-USS Hyannis, USS Tunica, Ex-USS Navigator, Ex-USS Tenino – Charleston, South Carolina (YTB-817 only) to Beaumont, Texas (All) to Panama Canal to San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii August–November 1986[4][10]

Ex-USS Coucal Pearl Harbor Hawaii to SINKEX April 1990.[12]

AFDL 40 (floating dry dock) Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Kwajelein to Guam to Subic Bay, Philippines June 1991.[13]

Ex-USS Cochrane Yokosuka, Japan to Midway to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii June 1991.[13]

Ex-USS Vancouver San Diego, CA to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii April 1992.[14]

Ex-USS Flasher Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington September 1992.[14]

USS Cimarron Hawaii operating areas to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii March 1993.[15]

Ex-USS Haddock Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington May 1993.[15]

Ex-USS Triton Rodman, Panama to Bremerton, Washington August 1993.[15]

Ex-USS Peoria San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1994[16]

Ex-USS Tuscaloosa San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1994[16]

Ex-USS Woodrow Wilson Rodman, Panama to San Diego to Bremerton, Washington September 1994.[16]

Ex-USS Richard B. Russell San Francisco, California to Bremerton, Washington October 1994.[16]

Ex-USS Silversides Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton Washington June 1995.[17]

Ex-USS Stoddard Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to SINKEX August 1997.[18][19]

Ex-USCGC Basswood Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to San Francisco, California March 1999.[20]

Decommissioned Submarine Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Bremerton, Washington July 2000.[21]

Ex-USS Pyro Bremerton Washington to San Francisco, California August 2000.[21]

Ex-USS Okinawa San Francisco California to Bremerton, Washington August 2000.[21]

Ex-USNS Wyman Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to San Francisco, California March 2001.[22][23]

YDT 253 barge crane San Diego, California to Bremerton, Washington August 2003.[24]

Ex-USS John Young San Francisco, California to Pearl Harbor Hawaii September 2003.[24]

Ex-USS O'Brien Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to SINKEX February 2006.[25][26]

USCGC Yocona (ex-USS Seize) Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Guam October 2006.[27]

Salvor's propulsion machinery provides a bollard pull (towing force at zero speed and full power) of 68 tons.[28][29]

The centerpiece of Salvor's towing capability is an Almon A. Johnson Series 322 double-drum automatic towing machine. Each drum carries 3,000 feet (910 m) of 2 1⁄4-inch-diameter (57 mm) drawn galvanized, 6X37 right-hand lay, wire-rope towing hawsers, with closed zinc-poured sockets on the bitter end. The towing machine uses a system to automatically pay-in and pay-out the towing howser to maintain a constant strain.[28][29]

The automatic towing machine also includes a Series 400 traction winch that can be used with synthetic line towing hawsers up to 14 inches in circumference. The winch has automatic payout but only manual recovery.[28][29]

The Salvor's caprail is curved to fairlead and prevent chafing of the towing hawser. It includes two vertical stern rollers to tend the towing hawser directly aft and two Norman pin rollers to prevent the towing hawser from sweeping forward of the beam at the point of tow. The stern rollers and Norman pins are raised hydraulically and can withstand a lateral force of 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg) at mid barrel.[28]

Two tow bows provide a safe working area on the fantail during towing operations.[28]

Manned diving operations[edit]

Salvor has several diving systems to support different types of operations. Divers descend to diving depth on a diving stage that is lowered by one of two powered davits.

The diving locker is equipped with a double-lock hyperbaric chamber that can be used for recompression after deep dives or for the treatment of divers suffering from decompression sickness.[24]

The MK21 MOD1 diving system supports manned diving to depths of 190 feet (58 m) on surfaced-supplied air. A fly-away mixed gas system can be used to enable the support of diving to a maximum depth of 300 feet (91 m).[24]

The MK20 MOD0 diving system allows-surface supplied diving to a depth of 60 feet (18 m) with lighter equipment.[24]

Salvor carries SCUBA equipment for dives that require greater mobility than is possible in tethered diving.[24]

Mines[edit]

Naval mine laying and recovery.[10][21][22]

Recovery of submerged objects[edit]

In addition to her two main ground tackle anchors (6,000-pound (2,700 kg) Navy standard stockless or 8,000-pound (3,600 kg) balanced-fluke anchors) Salvor can use equipment associated with her beach gear to lay a multi-point open water moor to station herself for diving and ROV operations.[5]

A typical four-point-moor consists of an X pattern with four Stato Anchors at the outside corners and Salvor at the center, made fast to a spring buoy for the close end of each mooring leg with synthetic mooring lines. Using her capstans, Salvor can shorten or lengthen the mooring line for each leg and change her position within the moor.[30]

As built, Salvor had a 7.5-ton capacity boom on a forward kingpost. However, the kingpost and boom were removed and replaced by a 10,000-pound deck crane in 2011.[31] She has 40-ton capacity boom on her aft kingpost.[24][29][32]

Heavy Lift[edit]

Salvor has heavy lift system that consists of large bow and stern rollers, deck machinery, and tackle. The rollers serve as low-friction fairlead for the wire rope or chain used for the lift. The tackle and deck machinery provide up to 75 tons of hauling for each lift. The two bow rollers can be used together with linear hydraulic pullers to achieve a dynamic lift of 150 tons. The stern rollers can be used with the automatic towing machine to provide a dynamic lift of 150 tons. All four rollers can be used together for a dynamic lift of 300 tons[24] or a static tidal lift of 350 tons.[33]

"Salvor" also has two auxiliary bow rollers, which can support of 75 ton lift when used together.[24]

Off-ship fire-fighting[edit]

Salvor has three manually operated fire monitors, one on the forward signal bridge, one on the aft signal bridge, and one on the forecastle, that can deliver up to 1000 gallons per minute of seawater or aqueous film forming foam (AFFF).[24] When originally built, Salvor had a fourth remotely controlled fire monitor mounted on her forward kingpost,[4] but this was later removed. Salvor has a 3600-gallon foam tank.[29]

Emergency ship salvage material[edit]

In addition to the equipment carried by Salvor, the US Navy Supervisor of Salvage maintains a stock of additional emergency fly-away salvage equipment that can be deployed aboard the salvage ships to support a wide variety of rescue and salvage operations.[34][35]

Operational accomplishments[edit]

Assisting search and rescue efforts after the ROKS Cheonan sinking

Between 1987 and 2001, Salvor has provided rescue or assistance to ships at sea in seven instances. Two cases involved collisions near Hawaii: the USNS Safeguard boat accident in August 1987,[10][36] and the Collision of USS Greeneville with Eihme Maru between February and November 2001.[22][37][38] Salvor also assisted in the Exxon Houston grounding near Barbers Point, Hawaii, in March 1989,[11][39] and the Kamalu barge fire in May 1989.[11] On three occasions, Salvor has assisted a ship at sea that has suffered a catastrophic equipment loss: recovering the primary towing pendant of the Ex-USS Duncan/USNS Navajo in January 1995,[17] the anchor chain of the USS Willamette in February 1995,[17] and the towed sonar array of the USS Los Angeles in June 1996.[40] The ship was also involved in the rescue effort after the ROKS Cheonan sinking.[41]

During the same time, Salvor participated in seven sea-recoveries of submerged military aircraft, including an A-6E Intruder (VA-145) in Puget Sound, Washington,[12] a UH-46D Sea Knight from a world-record depth[42] 17,251 feet (5,258 m)[14] near Wake Island,[14] a SH-60 Seahawk, an F/A-18C Hornet (VFA-22) near San Diego,[15][17] and two United States Air Force F-16 Falcons in Korean waters and the Sea of Japan.[43][44]

Other salvage operations undertaken by Salvor include repairing the propeller blades of HMAS Darwin,[12] repairing the hull of BRP Rajah Humabon,[45] recovering a LARC-V amphibious vehicle,[46] recovering and disposing of a 1,000-pound (450 kg) Mark 83 bomb,[46] pumping out oil leaking from the wreck of USS Mississinewa,[24] and exploring the wreck of the USS Lagarto in the Gulf of Thailand.[47]

Operational history as USS Salvor[edit]

Maiden voyage[edit]

Official US Navy photo of USS Salvor in early configuration.

Salvor departed Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on her first voyage on 25 July 1986. She visited Sault Ste Marie, Michigan before conducting diving operations for certification in Lake Superior. During the first part of August she made stops in Toronto, Quebec, and Halifax. After departing Halifax, she was diverted to New York City because of Hurricane Charlie. She arrived at Little Creek, Virginia and 21 August 1986 and received her ammunition loadout. Her next stop was Charleston, South Carolina, where she took a single navy harbor tug (ex-Hyannis) in tow.[4]

Salvor arrived at Beaumont, Texas, on 4 September where she had to wait out Hurricane Danielle for several days before she was able to get underway and take three additional vessels, two World War II vintage auxiliary tugs (ex-Navigator and ex-Tunica), and an auxiliary fleet tug (ex-Tenino), in tow at the mouth of the Sabine River. From there, Salvor towed the four vessels in a "Christmas tree" rig to the Christobol, Panama, arriving on 21 September. Salvor transited the canal, and re-rigged her tows again in Rodman, Panama and departed for San Diego, California on 26 September. After a brief stop at San Diego, Salvor continued with the 4 towed vessels, and arrived at her home port of Pearl Harbor for the first time on 1 November.[4]

Salvor spent the remainder of 1986 in or around Pearl Harbor, conducting training, validations, and trials.[4]

Training and local operations[edit]

After holiday upkeep, Salvor began 1987 with an underway shakedown cruise. During the shakedown cruise, Salvor and USS Reclaimer collided during tow and be towed exercises. The collision caused only minor damage and no injuries. Following shakedown training, Salvor conducted diving operations from 26 to 30 January.[10]

Salvor devoted February 1987 to a full power run, a VERTREP, target towing for Tactical Fighter Wing 419, HMCS Kootenay, and HMCS Terra Nova. Along with USS Skate, she supported SEAL operations from 17 to 20 February.[10]

During early March, Salvor Conducted a de-beaching exercise with the salvage training hulk ex-USS Buckeye, a bow lift exercise with a mud monster. Salvor then entered a series of maintenance availabilities and in-port training exercises, followed by more local operations including target towing for USS Whipple, support of Submarine operations near Kauai, search and rescue operations for a USS Safeguard boating accident, and off-ship firefighting training with ex-Buckeye.[10]

First Western Pacific deployment[edit]

Salvor departed Pearl Harbor for her first WESTPAC deployment on 6 September 1987. She was to accompany the tank-landing ship USS Barbour County which would tow three minesweepers, USS Conquest, USS Esteem, and USS Enhance to Subic Bay. Salvor returned to Pearl Harbor to first to onload parts for Conquest and later with USS Conquest in tow, after a collision between Conquest and Barbour County. After more delays because of casualties aboard Conquest, Salvor departed Pearl Harbor again on 26 September 1987. After a fuel stop at Kwajaelein, Salvor arrived at Subic Bay, Philippines, on 16 October 1987.[10]

Salvor visited Hong Kong and returned to Subic Bay where she took two floating drydock sections (AFDB 1B and AFDB 2E) in tow. On 25 November she fueled at see from USS Mauna Kea. Salvor' conducted more at see fueling with USS Brunswick and passed ADFB 1B to Brunswick on 11 December. Salvor arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 December with ADFB 2E in tow, and began a holiday leave and upkeep period.[10]

1988 was an uneventful year for Salvor. She spent much of the year in maintenance availability periods, undergoing various training exercises and engineering inspections, and dealing with repairs related to a troublesome design flaw with her port shaft. Salvor was awarded the Battle "E", Green "C", and "DC" awards. However, she did participate in classified special operations from 19 April to 18 May and again from 18 June to 11 July.[48]

Pearl Harbor salvage operations and Southern Pacific deployment[edit]

Salvor visited Kaunakakai, Molokai in January 1989 before returning to Pearl Harbor to conduct salvage training and vdinge[clarification needed] operations in February and March. Salvor participated in de-beaching operations when the oil tanker Exxon Houston broke free of her mooring buoy and ran aground near Barbers Point, Hawaii, on 2 March.[49] Salvor was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for her participation in the salvage of Exxon Houston.[11]

Salvor was again called into action for real-world non-military salvage operations when the barge Kamalu caught fire while adrift off the Wainai coast on 20 May. Salvor battled the fire aboard Kamalu for 16 hours.[11][50]

Later that month, Salvor towed the decommissioned repair ship USS Hector between 16 and 20 May as part of a synthetic line towing experiment and supported an MK48 torpedo exercise between 21 May and 2 Jun.[11]

On 19 June, Salvor departed for a SOUTHPAC deployment. During that deployment, she visited the following ports:[11]

Funafuti, Tuvalu, 29 June to 2 July

Apia, Western Samoa, 4 to 8 July

Vavu, Tonga, 10 to 12 July

Nuka Alofa, Tonga, 13 to 17 July

Pago Pago, American Samoa, 18 to 21 July

Papeete Tahaiti, 26 to 30 July

Raratonga, Cook Islands, 31 July to 1 August

A change of command ceremony was conducted while in port at Papeete on 29 July. Salvor returned to Pearl Harbor on August 17.[11]

Salvor departed Pearl Harbor again on 8 September with the Ex-YOG-68 gasoline barge in tow, and passed the tow to USS Fanning before sailing to Adak, Alaska, where she arrived on 2 October. Salvor conducted salvage training at Adak and returned to Pearl harbor on 15 October. Salvor spent the remainder of 1989 in our near pearl harbor, conducted dive operations for maintenance, and participated in law-enforcement operations.[11]

First Eastern Pacific deployment[edit]

Salvor departed Pearl Harbor for San Diego on 9 January 1990, and arrived in San Diego and 17 January. She participated in lock-in lock-out operations with SEAL Team 3 and USS Blueback near San Diego. She departed San Diego on 1 February. After a port visit in Esquimalt, British Columbia on 6 and 6 February, Salvor arrived at Seattle on 8 February. Salvor searched for, but was unable to find a VA-145 A-6E Intruder from the waters of Puget Sound from 12 to 23 February, and returned to Seattle. After conducting dive operations in Puget Sound, and another brief stop at Seattle from 2 to 4 March, Salvor departed for Oakland, California where she spend most of March in an upkeep with SIMA San Francisco. After stopping at San Diego on 28 March, she returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 April.[12]

RIMPAC '90[edit]

Salvor departed Pearl Harbor on 14 April with the decommissioned submarine rescue ship Ex-Coucal in tow. ex-Coucal was disposed of in a SINKEX as the target of a Tomahawk missile fired from USS Chancellorsville.[12]

Between 1 and 12 May, Salvor participated in exercise the multi-national Exercise RIMPAC '90. During the exercise she was in and out of Pearl Harbor to provide recovery and surface support craft for special warfare exercises, including SEAL Delivery Vehicle operations.[12]

Between 13 and 14 May she recovered propeller blades for the Australian guided missile frigate HMAS DARWIN, and she provided emergency towing services for the hydrographic survey ship USNS H.H. Hess (T-AGS-138) from 23 to 24 June.[12]

Salvor supported more special warfare exercises from 7 to 8 July and again from 19 to 22 July, after conducting de-beaching exercises with ex-Tunica from 10 to 12 July. She began an upkeep period in Pearl Harbor on 23 July. And entered dry dock in pearl harbor for a planned maintenance availability. Salvor spent most of the remainder of 1990 in the dry dock, in the naval shipyard, and in post-availability trials and examinations.[12]

Second Western Pacific deployment[edit]

Salvor departed Pearl harbor for her second WESTPAC deployment on 4 January 1991. In the first leg of her deployment, she towed the floating dry dock AFDL-40 from Pearl harbor to Subic Bay, Philippines. She arrived at Subic bay on 8 February after fuel stops at Kwajelein on 18 January, and Guam on 28 January.[13]

Salvor participated in various exercises and provided towing service in the western Pacific during March, April, and May. She conducted salvage exercises with the Korean and Ind