USS Firebolt (PC-10)
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.jpg/300px-USS_Firebolt_(PC-10).jpg) The USS Firebolt, laden with 89 survivors rescued from the Gulf of Aden after their small vessel capsized April 29, 2005. |
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| Career (United States) |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | July 19, 1991 |
| Builder: | Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. |
| Laid down: | September 17, 1993 |
| Launched: | June 10, 1994 |
| Commissioned: | June 10, 1995 |
| Homeport: | Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek |
| Fate: | Active, in commission |
| Badge: |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Cyclone-class patrol ship |
| Displacement: | 331 tons |
| Length: | 174 feet (53 m) |
| Beam: | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Draught: | 7.5 ft (2.5 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × Paxman[1] diesel engines 4 × propellers |
| Speed: | 35 knots (40 mph/65 km/h) |
| Complement: | 5 officers 23 enlisted[2] |
| Armament: | 2 × Mk38 chain guns 2 × Mk19 grenade launchers 2 × .50 (12.7 mm) machine guns 6 × Stinger missiles |
The USS Firebolt (PC-10) is the tenth member of the Cyclone-class of coastal patrol boats. It is a 174-foot (53 m) vessel with a crew of approximately 30 sailors, normally homeported at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. Its armament includes two Mk38 chain guns, two Mk19 automatic grenade launchers, and two .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns, as well as six Stinger missiles.[3] It was laid down on September 17, 1993, launched on June 10, 1994, and commissioned into the Navy on June 10, 1995.[2]
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[edit] Persian Gulf service
In February 2003, Firebolt deployed to Bahrain to operate in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. While there, it rotated crews so that it could remain on station without returning home for leave. In February 2004, the Firebolt collided with a navigational buoy off the coast of Iraq. The subsequent inquiry board into the incident led to the removal of Lieutenant Commander Michael T. Sullivan from command.[4]
On April 24, 2004, Firebolt's rigid-hulled inflatable boat attempted a boarding operation on a dhow that was approaching the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal in Iraq. As the boarding team of seven pulled alongside, the dhow exploded in an apparent suicide bombing. Two sailors, Petty Officer 1st Class Michael J. Pernaselli, 27, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher E. Watts, 28, and one Coast Guardsman, Petty Officer Third Class Nathan Bruckenthal[5], 24, were killed when the explosion flipped the boat over, dumping its crew into the water. Bruckenthal was the first Coast Guardsman to die in action since the Vietnam War. The survivors were picked up by an SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from the Australian frigate HMAS Stuart.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b USS FIREBOLT (English). Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ Geibel, Adam (2003-10-22). Cyclones, Firebolt and the Persian Gulf Pirates (English). Dirty Little Secrets. StrategyWorld.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
- ^ U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs (2004-04-01). Firebolt’s Commanding Officer Relieved (English). Navy NewsStand. Naval Media Center. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
- ^ Capelotti, Peter (2003-04-25). DC3 Nathan Bruckenthal's Oral History (English). U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
- ^ Helmer, Kendra (2004-04-27). Suicide bombing attack claims first Coast Guardsman since Vietnam War (English). Stars and Stripes. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
[edit] Photos
 USS Firebolt at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station |
[edit] External links
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