U.S. Navy auxiliary ship MV Carolyn Chouest. Long service and close retirement
The MV Carolyn Chouest at the start of her service. Photo by the US Department of Defense
The US Naval Sealift Command plans to retire the special support vessel MV Carolyn Chouest. This vessel is owned by a private company and has been rented since the mid-nineties fleet. The draft military budget for the next financial year provides for the refusal to extend such a contract, the withdrawal of the vessel from the fleet and its return to the owner. This will free up money for the implementation of other, more relevant projects. At the same time, the Navy will be left without one of the most interesting and flexible tools.
On loan
The fleet of the Sealift Command (MSC) is mainly completed by ordering its own pennants, but part of the needs is covered by the lease of ships from commercial organizations. In particular, the program of "special missions" is provided exclusively by leased vessels, one of which is MV Carolyn Chouest.
The MV Carolyn Chouest was built in the early nineties by order of the private company Edison Chouest Offshore. Already in 1994, a ship with special capabilities was leased by the US Navy. It was planned to be used as an oceanographic vessel and carrier of underwater vehicles for research and special operations.
In dry dock. Photo marinetraffic.com
In the future, a special vessel repeatedly participated in various events and operations, incl. secret. In addition, as needed, MV Carolyn Chouest has been upgraded to provide new features and capabilities. Lease contracts were regularly extended or renegotiated on new terms, taking into account the current needs of the Navy.
The last contract was signed in December 2017 and was further supplemented. Like the previous ones, it provided for the continued operation of the vessel as a floating base for special operations in the area of responsibility of the Indo-Pacific Command. The contract provided for a base lease period of 1 year, three yearly options and one 11 month option. The total value of the contract is more than $60 million. The maximum service life under this contract is until November 2022.
No contract renewal
A few weeks ago, in March, the Pentagon presented a draft military budget for the next FY 2023. This document describes the spending for the coming year, and also suggests measures to save money. In particular, it provides for the rejection of a number of obsolete systems and samples, which will free up money for higher priority programs.
Carolyn Chouest and the NR-1 submarine, 2006. Photo by the US Department of Defense
One of the obsolete samples is a floating base for special operations in the Pacific Ocean. The draft budget proposes not to renew the lease of this vessel and return it to the owner. The name of the pennant is not called, but it is obvious that we are talking about MV Carolyn Chouest.
The proposal for an auxiliary vessel was reacted in both houses of Congress. Two armed forces committees demanded clarification. The Pentagon had to justify the inexpediency of further operation of the MV Carolyn Chouest and the need to save on this particular ship.
Soon the situation was clarified by the Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It turned out that the last five-year contract was concluded by the Transportation Command in the interests of USSOCOM and with its direct participation. Special Operations Command recently revised its plans and decided to close funding for programs related to the MV Carolyn Chouest. Accordingly, the need for its lease through the MSC line disappeared.
Edition The Drive provides even more interesting information. According to him, it's not about saving, but about the lack of money. The rent of the MV Carolyn Chouest and other special vessels was paid from the so-called. foreign funds of the Pentagon. In the recent past, they were spent on other areas, and the overall level of funding was reduced. As a result, there is simply not enough money for floating bases.
In the port. Photo by the US Department of Defense
However, the further fate of the special vessel has not yet been finally decided. The draft military budget must go through all the bureaucratic procedures and get the approval of Congress. It is quite possible that legislators will not allow the Pentagon to write off the MV Carolyn Chouest, and will also force them to extend the lease of the vessel and find new tasks for it.
Multipurpose platform
MV Carolyn Chouest is a multi-purpose vessel with a length of 73 m, a beam of 16 m and a displacement of 1600 tons. A hull with the largest possible areas and volumes is used. From its bow there is a high superstructure, divided into two large volumes. The stern is given under the cargo deck with crane and other equipment.
As the service continued, the ship was modernized several times. During these events, the aft part of the superstructure was increased, and the deck was equipped with additional side platforms. New antenna devices appeared on the superstructure; the cargo and target capabilities of the vessel have changed, and with them the appearance.
The MV Carolyn Chouest power plant was built around two 10800 hp diesel engines. There are main propellers and a thruster. With their help, the vessel can go at a speed of up to 17 knots or be held in place for work.
After one of the upgrades. Photo marinetraffic.com
The deck and interior spaces with a total area of at least 1200 sq.m. are intended to accommodate special equipment. Additional cabins are provided for additional scientific, technical or combat personnel. The payload is interchangeable, which simplifies the operation of the vessel and the organization of specific missions and expeditions.
Vessel in service
Auxiliary vessel MV Carolyn Chouest began service as the carrier of a special small submarine NR-1. It made transitions to specified areas, where it launched the submarine into the water and ensured its operation. The bulk of such operations were carried out in the interests of the Pentagon and therefore classified. There were also other expeditions.
So, in 1995, MV Carolyn Chouest and NR-1 found the remains of the HMHS Britannic liner, and in 2002 they participated in the search for the famous ship USS Monitor. Several times the ship and the submarine participated in search and rescue operations. For example, in 1999 they found the wreckage of a passenger plane that had crashed into the sea, and in 2006 they ensured the evacuation of a patient from a submarine in the open sea.
In 2008, the US Navy decommissioned the NR-1 submarine, and the carrier ship was sent for modernization. After all the updates, MV Carolyn Chouest can take a variety of cargo and carry various watercraft. According to known data, in this configuration it is used as a floating base for special forces. At the same time, the details of such exploitation, for obvious reasons, remain unknown.
Modern view of the ship. Photo by Thedrive.com
In recent years, MV Carolyn Chouest has served in the Pacific. He was regularly spotted in different areas of the ocean and in the ports of the region. The last marks of the vessel in open tracking services appeared in early May in the area of Japan. What tasks the ship is currently performing and what it will do until November is unknown.
Close ending
The lease of the special support vessel MV Carolyn Chouest has been going on for almost 28 years. During this time, the ship took part in a large number of missions and operations of various kinds, some of which are still secret. In addition, a special pennant helped historical and archaeological science.
However, now they plan to abandon the ship. Despite all the upgrades, it is aging and no longer fully meets the requirements of the Navy, Sealift Command and Special Operations Command. In addition, there are problems in terms of funding. All these factors make further operation of MV Carolyn Chouest impractical.
The further fate of the vessel will be determined in the coming months, during the discussion and approval of the new military budget. If Congress approves the decommissioning, then the MV Carolyn Chouest will lose special equipment and then be returned to the owner company. However, another outcome is also possible. The current contract ends in November - and then a new one may appear.
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