Ex-USS Aries (PHM-5)

 museum, military, United States Navy

Pegasus Class Hydrofoil Patrol Ship, the only remaining Hydrofoil of the 6-ship class built and operated from the late 1970's to 1993. These ships were capable of 51 knots on their foils and were driven by Gas Turbine Engines while on their foils and diesel engines when operating like a normal vessel. These vessels were heavily armed for their 133ft size, each carrying 8 Harpoon Missiles and a 76mm Rapid Fire Gun Turret.

The Aries was the 5th ship of her class, and commissioned in 1982. Serving with her sisters in primarily the drug interdiction role, the Aries' speed and firepower was unmatched and proved invaluable in both chasing down go-fasts and responding to maritime emergencies.

Following the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent shrinking of the defense budget, the Aries and her sisters were decommissioned in 1993 and cannibalized for spare parts. All of the ships were sold for scrapping in August 1996, however the Aries was brought to Brunswick to be refurbished and made into a museum for this unique class of navy vessels. In the fall of 2015 the vessel was relocated to Gasconade, MO to serve as the centerpiece of a hydrofoil museum being constructed on the grounds of the former Gasconade Shipyard.

www.navsource.org/archives/12/1605.htm
www.ussaries.org/