Posted on 10/20/2003 10:55:53 AM PDT by John Jorsett
Another task in the Coalition's nation building mission is ridding Iraq's Persian Gulf waters of pirates. Coalition forces maintain a significant security presence in Iraqi waters in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483. Under 1483, coalition forces will provide law enforcement and security functions for the area until an Iraqi maritime security force can be established. During the height of the war, the Navy was on guard against pro-Saddam forces using the small dhows as bomb platforms.
Local pirates are believed to routinely prey upon both local traders and smugglers in Gulf waters. Most incidents are never reported nor do they occur near where coalition forces can be rapidly brought to bear, but sometimes the good guys get lucky.
According to the Office of Naval Intelligence's Maritime Log, pirates preying on local dhow traffic were interdicted by U. S. and Australian navy and U. S. Coast Guard crews on September 29. At 7.30 PM local time, a distress call was received from one of several dhows in the northern gulf area and a SH-60B Seahawk helicopter from the USS Fletcher was vectored to the scene. Using infrared radar, they tracked the boat with four persons until it could be intercepted.
The USS Firebolt arrived on scene with Miami-based U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 407, who performed a thorough search of the suspects and their vessel. The Australian Navy frigate HMAS Newcastle dispatched a liaison officer and a translator to assist with the questioning of the four suspects. The boarding team found goods stolen from the dhows aboard the speedboat.
The Firebolt is one of the Navy's "Cyclone class" boats designed for coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance. In the early 1990's, they were considered too bulky for commando missions and too small for the regular surface Navy. Armed only with a pair each of 25mm and .50 caliber machine guns, along with two Mk 19 grenade launchers and six "Stinger" missile, these are the 21st century version of the venerable "PT" boat. While the crew musters less than 30, there are an addition eight Special Operations personnel assigned to these boats.
Everything changed after September 11th and the Navy agreed to pay for maintenance and operations while the vessels operated under Coast Guard tactical control. Five or six boats were manned by the Coast Guard, four were based at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and two worked out of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
In January 2003, the USS Chinook and USS Firebolt were assigned to maritime interception operations in the Persian Gulf. Pirates in the gulf waters can be quite brazen, even if there's no 'hot' war. On April 23, 2002, the Military Sealift Command's USNS Walter S. Diehl was passing through the Straits of Hormuz when the six small power boats sped alongside. The Diehl does not look like a warship and probably appeared to be easy pickings. The Diehl fired flares to warn the small boats away, but the boats did not back down and a gunner opened fire with a .50-caliber machine gun. The Diehl's gunner kept firing as the ship moved ahead and the small boats then sped off.
So between terrorism and piracy, the Cyclone class patrol boats might find a second life. The Coast Guard and Navy wants to keep at least five and, if funding is available, all 13 on the books. Considering that they only cost $23 million apiece and their relatively new status, it would make sense to keep them involved in the War on Terror.
As the global threat of piracy grows, naval forces may also have to rely on heavier weapons than those usually found on littoral or coast guard type vessels. At the end of September, United Defense Industries announced that they had been awarded a $79 million contract to supply eight 57mm Bofors-pattern guns for the Coast Guard's new National Defense Cutters, which are expected to be launched by 2006. Demand for these weapons could reach close to 100, if it's decided to install them on other Coast Guard and Navy ships. - Adam Geibel
USS Firebolt homepage, online at: http://www.novanavyleague.org/uss_firebolt.htm
USS Firebolt specifications, online at: http://navysite.de/pboats/pc10.htm.
I'm conflicted - I'd like to see it a little bigger - enough to handle a helo (which is the only way to project its power) and turbines vice diesels spinning variable pitch wheels.
OTOH, considering its mission, it seems a little bit big as it is.
Bet those pirates needed some fresh underwear?! I wonder how well this boat could repel something like happened to the USS Cole..
There is no such thing as 'infrared radar'. Infrared refers to thermal vision using infrared sensative optics (cameras). Radar emits and receives a bounced radio signal. The acronym RADAR stands fro Radio Dection and Ranging.
Hell, they probably could have stopped that with an M-16 if they'd been ready for it.
I meant to include a similar statement but got distracted by my lunch.
That's not its mission.
At least add a couple of Harpoons or ADCAPs or something to give it half a chance. The things can't outrun an Exocet or some other missile...
And before you know it, you have a Perry-class frigate and Perry-class price tag, and, gosh, we can't afford enough of them.
Not for the foreseeable future! LOL
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