United States Navy (USN) - Military Sealift Command (MSC) Special Mission Program

Introduction.

The USN Military Sealift Command's Special Mission Program has 25 ships that provide operating platforms and services for a wide variety of U.S. military and other U.S. government missions. Specialized services are provided to U.S. Fleet Forces Command, the Oceanographer of the Navy, the Commander Undersea Surveillance, the U.S. Air Force, the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs Office, the Naval Special Warfare Command, the Commander Navy Installations Command, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Commander Submarine Force.  Such services include oceanographic and hydrographical surveys, underwater surveillance, missile tracking, acoustic surveys, command and control, and submarine and special warfare support.  Most special mission ships are operated by civilian mariners who work for private companies under contract to MSC.

Oceanographic Survey Ships.

MSC operates seven oceanographic survey ships. Six of these ships are multipurpose and perform acoustic, biological, physical and geophysical surveys, providing much of the U.S. Military's information on the ocean environment. These ships use multi-beam, wide-angle, precision sonar systems that make it possible to continuously chart a broad section of ocean floor. Another oceanographic survey ship, USNS John Mcdonnell, collects data in coastal regions around the world. The data collected helps improve technology in undersea warfare, enemy ship detection and charting the world's coastlines. 

The seven Oceanographic Survey Ships are :

• BOWDITCH, USNS
• BRUCE C. HEEZEN, USNS
• HENSON, USNS
• JOHN MCDONNELL, USNS
• PATHFINDER, USNS
• MARY SEARS, USNS
• SUMNER, USNS