Cyclone-class patrol ship

USS Hurricane, USS Typhoon and USS Chinook, in the Persian Gulf in March 2015.
Class overview
Builders:	Bollinger Shipyards
Operators:	United States Navy  Philippine Navy  United States Coast Guard
In commission:	1993 - present
Planned:	16
Completed:	14
Cancelled:	2
Active:	14
General characteristics
Displacement:	331 tons (336 metric tons) full load
Length:	179 ft (55 m)
Beam:	25 ft (7.6 m)
Draft:	7.5 ft (2.3 m)
Propulsion:	Four Paxman Diesel engines; four shafts; 3,350 shaft horsepower (2.50 MW)
Speed:	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range:	2000-2500nm (@12 knots, with transit fuel reserve)
Crew:	Four officers, 24 enlisted personnel
Armament:	2 × MK 38 25 mm autocannon 5 × .50 caliber machine guns 2 × MK 19 40 mm automatic grenade launchers 2 × M240B machine guns 6 × FIM-92 Stinger SAMs 2 × MK-60 quadruple BGM-176B Griffin B missile launchers[1]

The Cyclone-class patrol ships are a class of United States Navy coastal patrol boats. Most of these ships were launched between 1992 and 1994. The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy's strategy, "Forward...From the Sea." These ships also provide full mission support for U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations forces.

The Cyclone-class ships are assigned to Naval Special Warfare. Of the 14 ships, nine originally operated out of the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia, and four originally operated from the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. These ships provide the United States Naval Special Warfare Command with a fast, reliable platform that can respond to emergent requirements in a low-intensity conflict environment. Three hulls were decommissioned and loaned to the United States Coast Guard to be returned to the Navy in 2011, and one was transferred to the Philippine Navy. Shamal, Tornado, and Zephyr were returned to the U.S. Navy in 2011 and placed back in commission.

The hulls that were on loan to the U.S. Coast Guard were used in a variety of roles, including search and rescue, interception, boarding, and inspection of foreign freighters arriving at United States ports.

In September 2010, the decision was made to recall all of the remaining ships of the class due to fatigue damage to their hulls. The class was designed for a lifespan of roughly 15 years. All but the newest member of the class, USS Tornado (PC-14), have been in service longer. The vessels will be inspected and a decision will be made whether to refit them or to decommission the ships.

As of 2015, 10 of the U.S. Navy's 13 Cyclone-class patrol ships were deployed to the Persian Gulf to deal with a potential conflict with Iran.^[2] The remaining three ships of the class are slated to be transferred to Naval Station Mayport in Florida to work primarily with drug interdiction work with U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (USNAVSO) / U.S. Fourth Fleet.^[3]

Development and design

One of two 25mm autocannons carried by the Cyclone-class patrol ships (USS Chinook shown)

In the 1980s, the U.S. Navy developed a requirement for a replacement for the PB Mk III small (65 ft) Vietnam War-era patrol boats used to transport SEAL teams. The first attempt to replace the PB Mk IIIs led to an order being placed in 1984 for a stealthy surface effect ship, the Special Warfare Craft, Medium, or SWCM, with a length of about 83 feet (25 m) and a displacement of 150 long tons (150 t). The SWCM, nicknamed "Sea Viking", was a failure, however, and construction of the prototype was abandoned in 1987.^[4][5][6]

After the failure of the innovative SWCM, it was decided to replace the PB Mk IIIs with a simple development of an existing design rather than wait for an entirely new design to be produced and developed. Bollinger Shipyards proposed a development of the Vosper Thornycroft Province-class fast patrol boat built for Oman and Kenya, and this was selected by the U.S. Navy.^[4]

At 52.82 metres (173.3 ft), the new design, at first designated PBC (Patrol Boat Coastal), and later PC, was much larger than the boats that they were to replace. It was planned to build 16 PBC to replace the 17 PB Mk IIIs, with first deliveries expected in 1991. The program was stopped at 14 boats, however, as it was realised that the PC was too large for the SEAL delivery role.^[7]

Ships

Hurricane leads six ships of Patrol Coastal Squadron 1 in the Persian Gulf, March 2015.

Zephyr, Shamal, and Tornado were homeported at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek (Virginia) but shifted homeport to Naval Station Mayport (Florida).^[3][8]

Users

Current

•  Philippine Navy (1)
•  United States Navy (13)
•  United States Coast Guard (4 returned to U.S. Navy)

See also

In the future these ships will be replaced with Littoral combat ships of ten times their displacement.^[9]

• Mark V Special Operations Craft
• Special Operations Craft - Riverine (SOC-R)

References

Sources

• Baker, A.D. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1998. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
• Gardiner, Robert and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Moore, John. Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1985. ISBN 0 7106-0814-4.
• Prézelin, Bernard and Baker, A.D. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1990/1991. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 0-87021-250-8.

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

External links

• Media related to Cyclone class patrol coastal ships at Wikimedia Commons
• U.S. Navy Fact Sheet
• PC-1 Cyclone class Patrol Coastal Craft (globalsecurity.org)
• WPC-179 Cyclone Patrol Coastal Craft (globalsecurity.org)
• Program Executive Office, Ships - PC
• FAS.org
• Navy Times article on repairs to the class.

Cyclone-class patrol ships
United States Navy	Cyclone Tempest Hurricane Monsoon Typhoon Sirocco Squall Zephyr Chinook Firebolt Whirlwind Thunderbolt Shamal Tornado
United States Coast Guard	Cyclone Tempest Monsoon Shamal Tornado
Philippine Navy	General Mariano Alvarez (ex-Cyclone)
List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy