A PROCUREMENT CONTRACT FOR A FOURTH AIRCRAFT CARRIER — THE DECOMMISSIONED USS RANGER — HAS BEEN AWARDED TO A BROWNSVILLE SHIP RECYCLER.

THE U.S. NAVY ANNOUNCED THE CONTRACT WITH INTERNATIONAL SHIPBREAKING LTD. ON DEC. 22. THE COMPANY WILL PAY ONE CENT FOR THE VESSEL, THE LOWEST PRICE THE NAVY COULD HAVE PAID FOR THE SHIP TO BE TOWED AND DISMANTLED. INTERNATIONAL SHIPBREAKING WILL MAKE ITS MONEY BACK FROM THE SALE OF SCRAP METAL AS THE SHIP IS DISMANTLED. THIS IS THE SECOND AIRCRAFT CARRIER CONTRACT AWARDED TO THE COMPANY, WHICH EXPECTS TO TAKE DELIVERY OF THE USS CONSTELLATION IN JANUARY. THE RANGER WILL BE TOWED TO THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE FROM THE NAVY’S INACTIVE SHIPS MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN BREMERTON, WASH.

THE SHIP IS EXPECTED TO DEPART BREMERTON VIA TOW IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY AND ARRIVE IN BROWNSVILLE AFTER FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS. LIKE THE CONSTELLATION, WHICH IS ALSO BEING BROUGHT FROM BREMERTON, THE RANGER IS TOO BIG TO PASS THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AND MUST BE TOWED AROUND SOUTH AMERICA.

THE USS RANGER WAS THE THIRD FORRESTAL-CLASS CARRIER TO BE BUILT (AND THE FORRESTAL ITSELF ARRIVED AT ALL STAR METALS IN FEBRUARY FOR DISMANTLING). THE SECOND SHIP OF THE CLASS, THE USS SARATOGA, ARRIVED AT ESCO MARINE IN SEPTEMBER. THE FOURTH FORRESTAL-CLASS CARRIER, THE USS INDEPENDENCE, WAS DECOMMISSIONED IN 1998 AND IS ALSO DESIGNATED FOR DISMANTLING.

THE RANGER WAS BUILT AT THE NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING & DRYDOCK CO. IN THE MID-1950S AND COMMISSIONED IN 1957 AT THE NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD. IT WAS THE ONLY SHIP OF ITS CLASS TO SPEND ITS ENTIRE CAREER IN THE PACIFIC. THE SHIP MADE A TOTAL OF 22 WESTERN PACIFIC DEPLOYMENTS, WAS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE VIETNAM WAR, AND WAS THE ONLY WEST COAST-BASED CARRIER TO DEPLOY IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION DESERT STORM. THE RANGER WAS DECOMMISSIONED IN 1993 AFTER MORE THAN 35 YEARS OF SERVICE.

Steve Clark