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MHC 51 Osprey
"Safe Passage for All"

USS Osprey is the lead ship of a new class of coastal minehunters to join the fleet.

In terms of construction and technological advances, Osprey represents the most capable mine hunting ship ever constructed. The design incorporates a unique glass reinforced (GRP) monocoque hull, advanced acoustic, shock and magnetic silencing with superior electronics to achieve a major advance in minehunting capabilities.

Osprey's primary mission is to locate, classify, and neutralize moored and bottom mines in harbor and coastal waters and search for under water objects using the AN/SQQ-32 minehunting sonar and the AN/SLQ-48 Mine Neutralization System (MNS). The MNS is a small remotely piloted submersible, controlled from Osprey's Combat Information Center, which is deployed to identify and neutralize mines.

Ship's Coat of Arms

Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy and reflect the sea and excellence. Black is indicative of strength and stability. Blue denoted loyalty and devotion. Red is the color of valor, zeal and sacrifice. White is emblematic of integrity. The trident is for naval power and recalls the three previous ships of the same name. The annulet suggests continuous and courageous efforts and the round shape simulates an "O" in allusion the name Osprey. The wavy border is characteristic of the coast line, the theater of operations for the coastal minehunter. The single upright trident emulates the numeral "1" and implies the ship is the first of its class and a lead ship. The fourteen stars are commemorative of the previous USS Ospreys' fourteen battle honors.

On the ship's crest, the waves of the sea denote coastal waters, harbors and waterways and the Navy's theater of operations. The stylized mine alludes to the many moored and bottom mines in the harbors and coastal waterways and the Osprey's mission. The osprey or "fishing hawk" reflects the aggressiveness of the Osprey and its crew in carrying out their mission of minehunting.