USS Thunderbolt (PC-12) is the twelfth Cyclone-class patrol ship. Thunderbolt was laid down 9 June 1994 by Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana, and launched 2 December 1994. She was commissioned by the United States Navy on 7 October 1995.
.jpg) USS Thunderbolt in both Coast Guard and Navy markings.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Namesake | Thunderbolt |
| Ordered | 19 July 1991 |
| Builder | Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana |
| Laid down | 9 June 1994 |
| Launched | 2 December 1994 |
| Acquired | 22 March 2023 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9067855 |
| Status | Accepted, Awaiting Commissioning |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Cyclone-class patrol ship |
| Displacement | 331 tons |
| Length | 174 ft (53 m) |
| Beam | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Draught | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) |
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 24 men, 8 Special Forces |
| Armament |
|
USS Thunderbolt in both Coast Guard and Navy markings.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | Thunderbolt |
| Namesake | Thunderbolt |
| Ordered | 19 July 1991 |
| Builder | Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana |
| Laid down | 9 June 1994 |
| Launched | 2 December 1994 |
| Acquired | 5 August 1995 |
| Commissioned | 7 October 1995 |
| Decommissioned | 22 March 2023 |
| Homeport | Naval Support Activity Bahrain |
| Identification | IMO number: 9067855 |
| Motto | "Defend or Destroy" |
| Status | Transferred to Egyptian Navy [1] |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Cyclone-class patrol ship |
| Displacement | 331 tons |
| Length | 174 ft (53 m) |
| Beam | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Draught | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) |
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 24 men, 8 Special Forces |
| Armament |
|
Operational history
editIn 2013,Thunderbolt shifted homeport to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, arriving pierside there on 3 July 2013.[2]
On 25 July 2017, Thunderbolt fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy vessel. According to an unnamed U.S. defense official source, "The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they (the USS Thunderbolt) felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots."[3]
On 30 August 2022, Thunderbolt was involved in an incident with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when the IRGC's ship Shahid Baziar attempted to tow away a U.S. Navy Saildrone Explorer-type unmanned surface vehicle which had been monitoring the Persian Gulf. Thunderbolt, as well as a U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, moved to intercept the Iranian vessel and by radio identified the drone as U.S. government property. The drone was released after about four hours.[4][5]
On 22 March 2023, ex-USS Thunderbolt and two of her sister ships were transferred to the Egyptian Navy following transit to Alexandria from the United States. During the transit both US Navy and Egyptian Navy participated in bilateral training in preparation of the transfer. [6]
References
edit- ^ "U.S. Navy Transfers Three Patrol Craft to Egyptian Navy". 22 March 2023.
- ^ U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs (29 June 2017). "5th Fleet PC Force Grows to Eight Ships (Story Number: NNS130703-06)" (Press release). Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ AFP (25 July 2017). "US Navy ship fires warning shots at Iranian vessel". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ Gambrell, Jon (30 August 2022). "US Navy says Iran seized, later let go of American sea drone". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs (30 August 2022). "U.S. Navy Foils Iranian Attempt to Capture Unmanned Vessel in Arabian Gulf". U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Navy Transfers Three Patrol Craft to Egyptian Navy". 22 March 2023.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
External links
edit- USS Thunderbolt Intercepted by an Iranian Patrol Boat
- FAS
- Photo gallery at navsource.org
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