USNS Impeccable is one of the five Ocean Surveillance Ships that are part of the 25 ships in Military Sealift Command\'s Special Mission Ships Program.
8226; Length: 281.5 feet
8226; Beam: 95.8 feet
8226; Draft: 26 feet
8226; Displacement: 5,368 long tons
8226; Speed: 12.0 knots
8226; Civilian: 25 contract mariners
8226; Military: 25
8226; Government-Owned/
Chartered: Government-owned
近日，美国海军侦测船在南中国海遭五艘中国船包围。美国抗议中方滋扰公海例行作业很危险， 美国国防部指海洋侦测船“无瑕号”（USNS Impeccable），周日在海南岛以南120公里海域被包围。美国国防部前天发难，指“无瑕号”在“国际水域进行例行勘察”时，遭一艘中国海军情报搜集船、一艘海事局渔业监督船、一艘国家海洋水文监督船和两艘挂着中国国旗的拖网渔船包围，两艘驶近至仅距离“无瑕号”的15米范围，“无瑕号”向其中一船开消防灭火喉驱赶，但对方船员脱剩内衣裤，继续逼近至8米。
美军抗议滋扰公海作业，美国国防部指，中国船还向海面抛木头阻挡“无瑕号”去路，两艘船更驶到“无瑕号”前面，迫“无瑕号”急煞停，船员又用长杆爪鈎试图弄断”无瑕号”拖曳的声纳网。”无瑕号”后来用无线电通知对方要离开，要求闢出安全航道。美国强调”无瑕号”并无武装，船员只是外判承办商人员，中国船的行动不专业、危险、漠视其他船隻安全、违反国际法；又指”无瑕号”和另一海洋侦测船“胜利号”（Victorious）上周已六度被中方滋扰挑衅，扬言会继续在那“国际海域”作业。
中国外交部反击，指美方说法“严重违背事实，颠倒黑白，中方完全不能接受”。 “无瑕号”未经中方许可，擅闯南海中国专属经济区，属于非法活动，中国已向美方提出严正交涉，要求美方立即停止有关活动。
“无瑕号”被包围的位置，距离海南岛不远，靠近中国三亚榆林海军基地，其目的可想而知，据美方早期报道：此地部署了中国新型核攻击潜艇和弹道导弹核潜艇，商用卫星图片去年已将中国这个绝密核潜艇基地曝光。并有报道称，解放军他日建立航空母舰舰队，亦可能以榆林为基地。侦测船的目的无非就是要侦测海南岛的解放军新式核潜艇，美国海军近年忙于蒐集中国潜艇和南海海床资料，以供和平时期加强对中国潜艇的侦测能力，一旦开战将能更有效捕猎中国潜艇。
“无瑕号”是公认的美军间谍船，“无瑕号”： 非武装的反潜侦测船 长：85.8米 宽：29.2米 深：7.9米 时速：22.2公里 。从美国海军声呐系统的技术水平分析，“无瑕号”号当时完全有可能获取在沿海基地和近海海域活动的中国潜艇的情报，这已经严重损害了中国的国家安全。可以说，“无瑕号”号的活动如同2001年中美“撞机事件”中的美军EP-3侦察机，中国军方决不能再等闲视之。该间谍船在中国经济专属区进入中国海域，可以说明美国的行径是视国际法不顾，公然挑衅中国的主权，难道国际法的准则要按美国来定吗？
中美近年军事对峙事件
08/05/1999美军战机在南斯拉夫战争中，误炸中国驻贝尔格莱德大使馆，激起中国人怒愤，包围美国驻北京大使馆，美国总统克林顿道歉
01/04/2001美军侦察机在南海跟中国战机空中相撞，侦察机迫降海南岛，24名美军被扣留11天，中国拆掉侦察机，并一度中止所有美军军舰访问香港
09/2002美军”鲍迪奇号”间谍船闯入黄海水域，中国军机和军舰跟踪驱赶
01/2006中国一艘”宋级”潜艇在日本冲绳水域跟踪美军”小鹰号”航空母舰，突破多重防护网，潜近”小鹰号”16公里才突然浮出水面，令美军吓了一惊
09/03/2009美军侦测船”无瑕号”闯入中国在南海专属经济水域，怀疑对榆林海军基地进行刺探工作，遭5艘中国船隻包围。部分摘自网络
Special Mission美军间谍船25隻
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.
Oceanographic and hydrographic surveys, underwater surveillance, missile tracking, acoustic surveys, command and control, and submarine and special warfare support are just a few of the specialized services provided to:
U.S. Fleet Forces Command
The Oceanographer of the Navy
Commander, Undersea Surveillance
The U.S. Air Force
Naval Sea Systems Command
Navy\'s Strategic Systems Programs Office
Naval Special Warfare Command
Commander, Navy Installations Command
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Commander, Submarine Force
Most special mission ships are operated by civilian mariners who work for private companies under contract to MSC. Only three ships, USS Emory S. Land, USS Mount Whitney and USNS Zeus, are crewed by MSC\'s civil service mariners.
The MSC-chartered MV HOS Greystone, measuring 240 feet in length, escorts a U.S. Navy submarine returning from deployment.
One more submarine tender is transferring to MSC for civil service crewing in 2009. Technical work and communication support are conducted by embarked military personnel, as well as civilian technicians from other military commands and U.S. government agencies.
Submarine And Special Warfare Support Ships
MSC operates seven chartered submarine and special warfare support ships for the Navy. Two ships provide deep submergence/salvage support and submarine/escort rescue assistance for the Navy\'s submarine forces. Two ships support the Naval Special Warfare Command. Four other ships were chartered in 2007 to support the Navy\'s submarine escort requirements while entering and leaving ports.
MSC oceanographic survey ship USNS Sumner抯 crew members prepare an apparatus that the ship uses to track ocean currents.
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.
USNS Loyal is one of MSC抯 five ocean surveillance ships that work directly with the Navy\'s fleets, listening for undersea threats.
Ocean Surveillance Ships
Five ocean surveillance ships directly support the Navy by using both passive and active low frequency sonar arrays to detect and track undersea threats.
Missile Range Instrumentation Ships
MSC missile range instrumentation ship USNS Observation Island conducts missions sponsored by the U.S. Air Force.
MSC\'s two missile range instrumentation ships provide platforms for monitoring missile launches and collecting data that can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy. USNS Invincible and USNS Observation Island monitor foreign missile and weapons tests that may pose potential threats to air or surface navigation. These ships also monitor domestic weapons systems tests to provide valuable feedback to U.S. weapons systems designers.
Submarine Tenders
Submarine tender USS Frank Cable is scheduled to transfer to MSC in 2009. Sub tenders, like command ships, are unique in that they have both uniformed Navy personnel and civil service mariners serving under the leadership of a U.S. Navy captain, which allows the ships to retain their commissioned status.
Navigation Test Support Ship
Navigation test support ship USNS Waters supports the Navy\'s Strategic Systems Programs Office by assisting with submarine weapons and navigation system testing. The ship tracks missile test launches from Navy submarines to collect important performance data. The ship also conducts operational tests of upgrades to submarine navigation systems.
MSC抯 USNS Zeus is the only active cable laying/repair ship in the U.S. Navy.
Cable Laying/Repair Ship
MSC operates one cable laying/repair ship that transports, deploys, retrieves and repairs undersea cables. Built specifically for the Navy, USNS Zeus can lay up to 1,000 miles of cable in depths up to 9,000 feet during a single deployment before having to restock its cable supply.
MSC抯 USS Mount Whitney, the command ship for the U.S. Navy抯 6th Fleet, has a hybrid crew of civil service mariners and active-duty Navy personnel under the leadership of a U.S. Navy captain.
Command Ship
The Special Mission Program operates command ship USS Mount Whitney, which transferred to MSC in 2004 and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea as the U.S. Navy\'s 6th Fleet command ship. Civil service mariners perform navigation, deck, engineering, laundry and galley service operations while military personnel aboard support communications, weapons systems and security.
Harbor Tug And Port Services
The Special Mission Program manages harbor tug and port services contracts on behalf of Commander, Navy Installations Command to support Navy ships worldwide. The contracts cover operations at most Navy locations, including:
San Diego; Kings Bay, Ga.; Mayport, Fla.; Pearl Harbor; Norfolk, Va.; New London, Conn.; Guam and others. MSC also contracts for other port services in Pensacola, Fla.; Key West, Fla.; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Panama City, Fla., and Pearl Harbor.
MSC\'s operation of these commercial contracts frees up military personnel for their war-fighting missions.
Special Mission Support: An Enduring Mission
Military Sealift Command first began operating special mission ships in 1958 with four vessels that collected marine science data for the Navy and other U.S. government agencies.
For half a century, the unique blend of MSC ships working side by side with scientists and technicians from various U.S. government agencies has greatly increased the world\'s knowledge of Earth\'s hydrosphere. MSC\'s special mission ships continue to make it possible to better understand, manage and interact with undersea land masses, global waterways and the creatures that inhabit them, including man.
When it comes to ocean-going platforms for unique U.S. government missions, MSC delivers.
