Tag Archives: USNS Apache

Looks like they have it covered

Posted on by Leave a comment

usns apache

151021-N-RZ218-043 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 21, 2015) USNS Apache (T-ATF 172) sailing to search for the missing U.S. flagged merchant vessel El Faro on Oct. 21. Apache departed Norfolk, Virginia, on Oct. 19 to begin searching for wreckage from the missing cargo ship, which is believed to have sunk off the coast of Crooked Island in the Bahamas. The ship is equipped with several pieces of underwater search equipment, including a voyage data recorder locator, side-scan sonar and an underwater remote operated vehicle. The Navy’s mission will be to first locate the ship and, if possible, to retrieve the voyage data recorder – commonly known as a black box. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Kotara/Released)

More here

Navy deploying deep water search team for El Faro

Posted on by One comment

With the loss of the container ship El Faro, the worst U.S. merchant marine disaster since 1983 when the bulk carrier SS Marine Electric was lost, the Navy is prepping USNS Apache (T-ATF-172) at Little Creek to head to sea off Crooked Island to begin an underwater search.

Equipped with deep-ocean ROV’s capable of searching at depths of up to 20,000 feet, Apache is certainly capable.

“The initial search area is 100 square miles, and we estimate water depth to be 15,000 feet across the expected search area,” Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Chris Johnson told USNI News on Thursday. “We estimate we will remain in the area until mid-November.”

Perhaps Apache will stumble across the lost USS Cyclops (AC-4) while they are at it.

The 19,000-ton collier disappeared along that same part of the globe back in 1917 and has remained one of the great unsolved mysteries of the sea. (Although the safe money has always been that Cyclops made it as far as the Virginia Capes.)

USS Cyclops, anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City, probably during the 1911 naval review in New York City. Library of Congress, LC-B2- 2335-8

USS Cyclops, anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City, probably during the 1911 naval review in New York City. Library of Congress, LC-B2- 2335-8