USS Firebolt

USS Firebolt (PC-10) is the 10th member of the Cyclone class of coastal patrol boats of the United States Navy. She is a 174 ft (53 m) vessel with a crew of approximately 30 sailors, normally homeported at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. Her armament includes two Mk38 chain guns, two Mk19 automatic grenade launchers, and two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns, as well as six Stinger missiles.[3] She was laid down by Bollinger Shipyards on 17 September 1993, launched on 10 June 1994, commissioned into the Navy on 10 June 1995,[2] and she was decommissioned on 23 February 2022.[1]

USS Firebolt, laden with 89 survivors rescued from the Gulf of Aden after their small vessel capsized 29 April 2005.
History
United States
NameFirebolt
Ordered19 July 1991
BuilderBollinger Shipyards
Laid down17 September 1993
Launched10 June 1994
Commissioned10 June 1995
Decommissioned23 February 2022[1]
HomeportNaval Amphibious Base Little Creek
Motto"Charge Hard Strike Fast"
StatusDecommissioned
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeCyclone-class patrol ship
Displacement331 long tons (336 t)
Length174 ft (53 m)
Beam25 ft (7.6 m)
Draft7 ft 6 in (2.3 m)
Propulsion
Speed35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Complement
  • 5 officers
  • 23 enlisted[2]
Armament

Persian Gulf service

In February 2003, Firebolt deployed to Bahrain to operate in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. While there, she rotated crews so that she could remain on station without returning home for leave. In February 2004, Firebolt collided with a navigational buoy off the coast of Iraq. The subsequent inquiry board into the incident led to the removal of Lieutenant Commander Michael T. Sullivan from command.[4]

On 24 April 2004, Firebolt's rigid-hulled inflatable boat attempted a boarding operation on a dhow that was approaching the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal in Iraq. As the boarding team of seven pulled alongside, the dhow exploded in an apparent suicide bombing. Two sailors and one Coast Guardsman[5] were killed when the explosion flipped the boat over, dumping her crew into the water. The Coast Guardsman was a member of the embarked Law Enforcement Detachment and was the first Coast Guardsman to die in action since the Vietnam War. The survivors were picked up by an S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter from the Australian frigate HMAS Stuart.[6]

On 26 April 2021, Firebolt, in formation with USCGC Baranof, fired warning shots at several Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) after the smaller boats closed to within 68 yards despite warnings via radio and loud-hailer. The U.S. ships were performing routine maritime security patrols in the international waters of the North Persian Gulf.[7]

Photos
  • USS Firebolt at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station
    USS Firebolt at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station

References
  1. "Firebolt Crew Marks End of Ship's U.S. Navy Service at Decommissioning". United States Navy. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  2. "USS FIREBOLT". Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office. Retrieved 31 January 2007.
  3. Geibel, Adam (22 October 2003). "Cyclones, Firebolt and the Persian Gulf Pirates". Dirty Little Secrets. StrategyWorld.com. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
  4. U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs (1 April 2004). "Firebolt's Commanding Officer Relieved". Navy NewsStand. Naval Media Center. Archived from the original on 29 March 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
  5. Capelotti, Peter (25 April 2003). "DC3 Nathan Bruckenthal's Oral History". U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
  6. Helmer, Kendra (27 April 2004). "Suicide bombing attack claims first Coast Guardsman since Vietnam War". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  7. "IRGCN Interaction with U.S. Naval Vessels in the North Persian Gulf". U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021. IRGCN Interaction with U.S. Naval Vessels in the North Persian Gulf
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