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USS FIREBOLT is the tenth CYCLONE - class patrol coastal boat and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name. From November 2001 on, the CYCLONE - class ships were temporarily operated under US Coast Guard control for homeland defense. In February 2003, the FIREBOLT deployed to the Persian Gulf for an 18-month deployment in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. For the deployment, the FIREBOLT temporarily shifted her homeport to Manama, Bahrain. During the deployment, FIREBOLT's crew was swapped out every 6 months. Such a "crew swap" initiative increases the Navy's forward presence by providing an extra 90 days of on-station time per vessel.
General Characteristics: | Awarded: July 19, 1991 |
Keel laid: September 17, 1993 | |
Launched: June 10, 1994 | |
Commissioned: June 10, 1995 | |
Builder: Bollinger Machine Shop & Shipyard, Lockport, Louisiana | |
Propulsion system:4 Paxman diesels | |
Propellers: four | |
Length: 170 feet (51.8 meters) | |
Beam: 25 feet (7.6 meters) | |
Draft: 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) | |
Displacement: approx. 331 tons | |
Speed: 35 knots | |
Aircraft: none | |
Armament: 2 25mm 2 Mk-19 automatic grenade launchers; 6 stinger missiles | |
Homeport: Manama, Bahrain | |
Crew: 4 officers, 24 enlisted and 8 Special Forces personnel |
Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS FIREBOLT. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
Accidents aboard USS FIREBOLT:
Date | Where | Events |
---|---|---|
February 16, 2004 | off the coast of Iraq, Persian Gulf | USS FIREBOLT suffers a 3- to 4-inch gash in her hull and experiences minor flooding, after the ship collides with a buoy off the Iraqi coast. Nobody was injured in the accident. Following a Judge Advocate General’s investigation into the incident, FIREBOLT's Commanding Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Michael T. Sullivan, was relieved of command on April 1. |
USS FIREBOLT Image Gallery: