Contact: Jeanne Kouhestani FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(202) 482-6090 1/27/97
The newest addition to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fleet of scientific research ships will be home ported in Charleston, S.C., when the ship begins operations in early August, the Commerce Department agency announced today.
The Ronald H. Brown, the first ship built for NOAA in more than 16 years, will have the ability to conduct both oceanographic and lower atmospheric research, which are critical to the agency's mission to describe and predict changes in the Earth's environment.
"NOAA ships are highly specialized platforms that have the unique capabilities and equipment needed by scientists to conduct environmental research," said Dr. D. James Baker, Commerce under secretary for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "We owe a great deal of thanks to Senator Hollings and his Congressional colleagues, without whose support the ship might not have been constructed. The Senator is a very strong supporter of NOAA's mission and its fleet."
The Ronald H. Brown was named in honor of the late Commerce secretary after his tragic death last year. Senator Fritz Hollings sponsored the vessel and his name, along with Senator Trent Lott's and Secretary Brown's, was engraved on the keel during the keel-laying ceremony in February 1995.
The Brown is being built by Halter Marine Inc. of Gulfport, Miss. The ship was launched in May 1996 after being christened by Secretary Brown's widow. Prior to commissioning, the ship will be outfitted with additional scientific equipment taken from the recently retired ship Malcolm Baldrige.
The Brown will be commissioned in Charleston in early August this year, then deployed to begin its global mission. The ship will be commanded by officers of the NOAA Corps, the nation's seventh commissioned service. All NOAA Corps officers hold science or engineering degrees, and are highly skilled at operating and managing the ships as well as supporting the scientific research being conducted.