USNS VANDENBERG – THE SINKING OF A COLD WAR RELIC.
Taken from: E. newspaper
May 27, 2009.
Earlier today the ship USNS Hoyt S. Vandenberg, was sunk about 7 miles off the coast of Key West making it the world’s second-largest intentionally sunk artificial reef. The vessel was originally built during WWII for troop transport but wikipedia sheds light on her more interesting, mission:
On 1 July 1964, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was acquired by the Navy and as a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship. “Equipped with extremely accurate and discriminating radar and telemetry equipment,” she tracked and analyzed “re-entry bodies in the terminal phase of ballistic missile test flights,” carrying out those missile and spacecraft tracking duties in both Atlantic and Pacific waters until her retirement in 1983. In 1998, some scenes of the horror/sci-fi film Virus were filmed aboard the ex-General Hoyt S. Vandenberg.
The vessel now sits in 140 feet of clear water and will serve to attract fish, divers and relieve recreational pressure on nearby natural reefs. Officials expect it to generate up to $8 million in tourism-related revenue for Key West and the state of Florida.
Though the plan to sink the 523-foot former missile tracking ship has been in the works for years, the ship went down amazingly fast. Forty-two small charges, arranged strategically along the ship's hull were just enough to take the ship under evenly so that it is now resting upright on the bottom -- a dream for wreck diving enthusiasts. The charges were fired at 10:22 a.m. The only thing left topside was a whisp of smoke.
The Vandenberg is still off limits to divers until it is cleared by an official dive team, a team that will ensure that the vessel is sitting solidly where it belongs and safe for visitors. That clearance should come very soon.
KEY WORDS.
REEF: n. A strip or ridge of rocks, sand or coral that rises to or near the surface of
A body of water.
RANGE: n. The extent of ability. Reach.
TELEMETRY: n. The science and technology of automatic measurement and trans-
mission of data by wires, radio or other means from remote sources
as from space vehicles to a receiving station for recording and
analyses.
TRACK: v. To persue successfully. To follow the footprints or traces.
CARRY OUT: v. To put into practice or effect.
TRACKING: n. An observing station for maintaining contact by means of radar or
radio with an object in the atmosphere or in space.
DUTIES: n. A service, function or task assigned to one, specially in the armed
forces.
REVENUE: n. The income of a government from all sources appropriated for the
payment of the public expenses.
FORMER: adj. Occurring earlier in time.
HULL: n. The frame or body of a ship.
EVENLY: adj. Horizontally. Equally balanced.
UPRIGHT: adj. In a vertical position.
CLEAR: adj. Free from danger.
CLEARANCE: n. Official certification of suitability.
OFF LIMITS: restricted.
