CSS Audun Alstad
_and_USS_Constellation_(CV_64),_the_Navy%27s_two_remaining_Kitty_Hawk_Class_aircraft_carriers,_underway_together_in_the_Arabian_Gulf.jpg) CSS Audun Alstad alongside the ZMS Camille in the Olympic Ocean in 2005.
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| History | |
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 Caspiaa
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| Name: | Audun Alstad |
| Laid down: | 27 December 1968 |
| Launched: | 21 May 1970 |
| Commissioned: | 29 April 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Hamilton-class |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 1,068.9 ft (325.8 m) LOA |
| Beam: |
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| Draft: | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion: | Geared steam turbines, eight steam boilers, four shafts; 280,000 shp (210 MW) |
| Speed: | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Complement: | 5,624 officers and men |
| Armament: | Surface-to-air missiles, 2 RAM, 2 CIWS Automated Anti-Missile/Aircraft Defenses |
| Aircraft carried: |
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The CSS Audun Alstad, formerly known as the ZMS Houfeld, is a Hamilton-class aircraft carrier in service with the Caspiaa Navy. Originally launched in 1968, then-ZMS Houfeld served in the Zamastanian Naval Forces from 1969-1997, and was scheduled for scrapping. The Elbresian government placed a purchase bid for the vessel in 2001, but the deal was canceled after the Elbresian Navy acquired the Gladysynthian GMS Kirchner in 2004. Houfeld was instead sold to the Caspiaan government in 2005, was refurbished, and renamed the Audun Alstad. The Audun Alstad has been a vital tactical vessel for WEDA in conflicts like the 2020 intervention in Ossinia and the coalition-led mission in Terehan, and was later used with limited capacity in Operation Afton. Audun Alstad has also deployed to assist in natural disaster recovery efforts, such as in the wake of the 2021 Temebok tsunami and 2023 Konkurso tsunami.
On January 31st, 2024, a PRQ-piloted skiff pulled alongside the Audun Alstad and exploded, killing 16 sailors. The ship had been in the process of rescuing refugees aboard overcrowded migrant boats, a move which was prohibited by Royal Navy and WEDA guidelines due to security concerns. The commander of the carrier, Øyvind Soland, was placed on leave while the military investigated the incident.