Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility

Purpose

The Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is a facility owned by the United States Navy (USN) as a holding facility for decommissioned naval vessels. They are used to house ships before their final fate is determined. Many ships in NISMF yards are waiting to be scrapped. Others have been "mothballed" (inactive reserve), meaning they are being held with minimal maintenance (humidity control, corrosion control, flood/fire watch) should they need to be recalled to active duty.

Locations

The USN has NISMF facilties at the following locations:
*Philadelphia, PA
*Portsmouth, VA
*Bremerton, WA
*Pearl Harbor, HI
*Puget Sound, WA
*Norfolk, VA
*Orange, TX*NOTE: The Puget Sound and Norfolk facilities are reserve areas part of normal shipyards that are designated for the storage of nuclear powered vessels. The Orange facility was decomissioned in 1975 and emptied by 1980. The Navy retains a small portion of the facility's land for joint exercises between the Navy and the United States Marine Corps.

Vessels Moored at NISMFs

Following is a short list of vessels currently being stored at the facilities:

Philadelphia, PA

*USS Des Moines (CA-134) - cruiser
*USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) - cruiser
*USS Yorktown (CG-48) - cruiser
*USS Stump (DD-978) - destroyer
*USS Conolly (DD-979) - destroyer (planned memorial/museum)
*USS Moosbrugger (DD-980) - destroyer (inactive reserve)
*USS John Hancock (DD-981) - destroyer (inactive reserve)
*USS John Rodgers (DD-983) - destroyer (awaiting sale)
*USS Stark (FFG-31) - frigate (awaiting scrapping)
*USS Joshua Humphreys - oiler (awaiting reactivation, scheduled for 2005)
*USS Charleston (LKA-113) - amphibious cargo ship
*USS Mobile - amphibious cargo ship (inactive reserve)
*USS El Paso (LKA-117) - amphibious cargo ship (inactive reserve)
*USS Boulder - tank landing ship (inactive reserve)
*USS Puget Sound(AD38)- Destroyer Tender, ex 6th Fleet Flagship

Portsmouth, VA

*USS Simon Lake (AS-33) - submarine tender
*USS McKee (AS-41) - submarine tender

Bremerton, WA

*USS Ranger (CVA-61) - aircraft carrier (Donation List, planned museum) *source USS Ranger Museum Foundation
*USS Independence (CV-62) - aircraft carrier (inactive reserve, being prepared for sinking)
*USS Constellation (CV-64) - aircraft carrier (inactive reserve, being prepared for sinking)
*USS David R. Ray (DD-971) - destroyer
*USS Fife (DD-991) - destroyer (will be sunk as target for training)

Pearl Harbor, HI

*USS Valley Forge (CG-50) - cruiser
*USS Oldendorf (DD-972) - destroyer (will be sunk as target for training)
*USS Fletcher (DD-992) - destroyer (awaiting sale to Pakistani Navy)
*USS Acadia (AD-42) - destroyer tender
*USNS Wyman - hydraulic survey ship
*USS Durham - amphibious cargo ship (inactive reserve)
*USS St. Louis (LKA-116) - amphibious cargo ship (inactive reserve)
*USS Fresno - tank landing ship (inactive reserve)
*USS Peoria (LST-1183) - tank landing ship (will be sunk as target for training)
*USS Racine - tank landing ship (inactive reserve)

Sources and External Links

* NavSource Naval History
* GlobalSecurity.org, military section
* List of US carriers, English