23 March 2023
US Navy transfers three coastal patrol craft to Egyptian Navy
by Kate Tringham
US Naval Forces Central Command transferred three Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships to the Egyptian Navy during a formal ceremony in Alexandria, Egypt, on 21 March. (US Navy)
The Egyptian Navy has taken delivery of three Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships from the United States.
The three boats, ex-USS Hurricane (PC 3), ex-USS Sirocco (PC 6), and ex-USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), were transferred from US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) to the Egyptian Navy during a formal ceremony held in Alexandria, Egypt, on 21 March.
As part of the transfer package, Egyptian Navy crews completed training with US Navy personnel that included jointly sailing the three ships from Bahrain to Egypt from January to February. The month-long transit covered 4,000 miles and included port stops at Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates; Duqm, Oman; Djibouti; and Berenice, Egypt. After arriving in Alexandria on 12 February, Egyptian crew members completed additional classroom training in engineering, search-and-rescue, damage control, and weapons handling.
Hurricane, Sirocco, and Thunderbolt entered service with the US Navy between 1993 and 1995 as part of the 14-strong Cyclone-class built by Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana to a design based on the Vosper Thornycroft Ramada-class hull. The first of class was transferred to the Philippines Navy in 2004, and five (Tempest, Typhoon, Squall, Firebolt, and Whirlwind) were sold to Bahrain in 2022.
The 54.6 m ships have a full load displacement of 387 tonnes, a top speed of 35 kt, and a standard range of 2,500 n mile at 12 kt. They carry a crew complement of 24 (in addition to four officers).
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The Egyptian Navy has taken delivery of three Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships from the United Sta...
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