Contact: Jeanne Kouhestani (fleet) FOR RELEASE:
Dane Konop (research) July 19, 1997
"The Ronald H. Brown is among the most technologically advanced seagoing research platforms in America today," Secretary Daley said. "It will be used to collect environmental data that will help further our understanding of the ever-changing world we live in, helping us make sound decisions about our lives, our homes, our institutions and our economy."
The 274-ft. ship has meteorological and ocean data-collecting capabilities - including a Doppler radar to study storm dynamics at sea - that are unique in the U.S. civilian fleet. Scientists aboard the vessel will study global climate change and other critical environmental issues, across the world's oceans.
The Ronald H. Brown, named after the late Commerce secretary who died in a plane crash in 1996 while on an overseas trade mission, was commissioned at its home port in the Charleston Naval Complex. Joining Secretary Daley at the ceremony were keynote speaker Senator Ernest C. Hollings (D-SC); Mrs. Alma Brown, the ship's sponsor; D. James Baker, commerce under secretary for oceans and atmosphere; Stephen S. Honigman, U.S. Navy general counsel; and Rear Admiral William L. Stubblefield, director of the Office of NOAA Corps Operations.
The Ronald H. Brown is the first new research ship constructed for NOAA in 17 years, built by Halter Marine Inc. of Moss Point, Miss., and launched on May 30, 1996.
The Brown replaces the oceanographic research ships Malcolm Baldrige and Discoverer, which were decommissioned last year following more than 60 years of combined service. The Brown, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, will be a more effective and cost-efficient vessel than its predecessors.
"Building upon the lessons learned from its predecessors, the Brown, with its advanced sampling capabilities, provides yet another major step forward in our attempts to better understand the oceans and atmosphere and the forces that direct them," said D. James Baker, Commerce under secretary for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "With its Doppler radar, upper-air sounding system, and wind profiler system, the Brown is a world-class atmospheric research platform, making it unequaled in the domestic research fleet for sampling both the oceans and atmosphere and discovering the profound interactions that bind them."
The ship and its visiting team of university and NOAA scientists depart Charleston July 21 for the Brown's first scientific cruise, a study of the three-dimensional structure of clouds and precipitation in the eastern tropical Pacific, a region that has a strong influence on atmospheric circulation patterns worldwide. Chief scientist for the cruise will be Dr. Sandra Yuter of the University of Washington.
The Ronald H. Brown is commanded by Cmdr. David Peterson of the NOAA Corps. The Office of NOAA Corps Operations, composed of civilians and commissioned officers, manages and operates the agency's fleet of ships and aircraft. The NOAA Corps is the nation's smallest uniformed service. The Brown's complement includes four commissioned officers, 20 civilian crew members, and up to 35 scientists.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Media are invited to attend the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, July 19, 10:00 a.m., NOAA Pier Q, Charleston Naval Complex. A photo opportunity with the invited speakers, a tour of the ship, and a reception will follow the ceremony. Public tours will also be held from 3:00 to 5:00 the same day. Please contact Donna McCaskill at NOAA's Coastal Services Center in Charleston you plan to attend.
Further information about the Office of NOAA Corps Operations and the Ronald H. Brown can be found on ONCO's Internet web site at: http://www.noaa.gov/nchome . For the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, primary user of the Brown, see: http://www.oar.noaa.gov.