Crane ship, SMIT Borneo from Singapore, that will help extract the USS Guardian from Tubbataha Reefs after it ran aground, arrives off the coast of Palawan province, west of Manila in this February 3, 2013 handout picture provided by the Philippine Coast Guard. The USS Guardian ran aground in the Sulu Sea off the Philippines, and was stuck on a reef, the Navy said. The ship, with a crew of 80, had just completed a port call at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when the grounding occurred. REUTERS/Philippine Coast Guard/Handout (PHILIPPINES - Tags: MARITIME DISASTER)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR  EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

MANILA, Philippines --- The salvage operation on the stricken minesweeper, USS Guardian, is expected to be completed by December, 2013, according to the United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD).

The DoD also disclosed that recovery efforts for the Guardian, which is now on its third week of being stuck in the Tubbataha reef, costs the US government almost $25 million or more than P1 billion.


An official notice published on the DoD Web site has stated that, "SMIT Salvage, Singapore was awarded on Feb. 1, 2013, a $24,889,904 delivery order against previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00024-12-D-4120) to provide support for emergency response and recovery operations for the USS Guardian (MCM 5) grounding on Tubbataha Reef, Sulu Sea, Philippines."

The Smit Salvage is the private company contracted by the US Navy for the recovery operation on USS Guardian.The DoD notice further stated, "The Support will include personnel, vessels, and equipment required for assessment, planning, stabilization, oil removal and vessel recovery."

It added, "Work will be performed in the vicinity of the Tubbataha Reef, Philippines, (72 percent); Palawan, Philippines, (15 percent); Singapore, SG, (10 percent); Washington, D.C., (one percent); Rotterdam, The Netherlands, (one percent); and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, (one percent), and is expected to be completed by December, 2013. "

The US Navy last week determined the 23-year old, $227 million worth USS Guardian is a complete loss as they announced that the vessel will be dismantled and saf

This, after naval architecture and salvage experts have assessed that attempts to remove Guardian intact, such as by towing or pulling it off the reef, could possibly cause more damage to the reef and the ship's hull, and most likely result in the vessel breaking up or sinking.

"Guardian is badly damaged and with the deteriorating integrity of the ship, the weight involved, and where it is grounded on the reef, dismantling in sections is the only supportable option," said Capt. Darryn James, US Pacific Fleet spokesman.
"We have the right team of experienced professionals to conduct this complex operation and to ensure that it is done safely while minimizing damage to the surrounding marine environment," added James.
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