International Shipbreaking Ltd. to recycle the USS Charles F. Adams

The USS Charles F. Adams (DDG 2), “The Charlie Deuce,” will be dismantled and recycled by International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of EMR Metal Recycling, in Brownsville, Texas.

The Charlie Deuce is the Navy’s first guided-missile destroyer and has an impressive service history, according to International Shipbreaking, most notably serving as flagship for Cold War surveillance of Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic and carrying out space flight recovery operations in 1962 as part of Project Mercury established by the newly formed NASA. The ship also took part in quarantine and surveillance operations as part of the Cuban missile crisis, which saw it awarded with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and carried out numerous law enforcement operations in the Caribbean as part of the war on drugs.

International Shipbreaking Ltd. has three specialized facilities in Brownsville and in New Orleans and Amelia, Louisiana. These facilities have recycled more than 400 ships and marine structures, including the USS Tripoli, USS Constellation and USS Ranger. The USS Cape Florida currently is being recycled.

Chris Green, senior manager at International Shipbreaking Ltd., says: “It is with great pride that we welcome the USS Adams on her final journey. It’s an honor to work on a ship with such an impressive service to her country.”

He adds, “We have a long history of dismantling military vessels in a respectful and compliant manner and have invested heavily to build a world class ‘green’ ship recycling facility in Brownsville, Texas.

“This is one of many U.S. Navy contracts we have been awarded and extensive preparations have been made to ensure we are able to safely tow, dismantle and recycle the USS Charles F. Adams,” Green says.

The USS Adams recycling contract, which requires complete demilitarization of the entire ship, is set for completion in 2021 and will see 98 percent of all materials removed being recycled, International Shipbreaking says.