U.S. Navy has transferred three 53-meter Cyclone-class patrol craft to the Egyptian Navy.
The three costal ships are USS Hurricane (PC 3), USS Sirocco (PC 6), and USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), and they were decommissioned on 20 March, after decades of U.S. Naval service.
Transfer has been officially announced by the U.S. Central Naval Command.
In February, the three vessels completed their final sail in the Middle East under the U.S. Navy flag.
Most of these ships were launched between 1992 and 1994. Their primary mission is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy’s strategy, “Forward…From the Sea.” These ships also provide full mission support for U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations forces.
The patrol ships are equipped with 2× 25mm autocannons, 2× M240 machine guns, 2× MK19 grenade launchers, 2× 12.7 machine guns, 6× stinger SAMs, 2 × MK-60 quadruple launchers for AGM-176B Griffin SSMs, in addition to integration of electro-optical and laser designation sensors.
AGM-176 Griffin
The Griffin is a light, low-cost, multi-service air-launched weapon with GPS-assisted inertial guidance and a semi-active laser seeker.
The weapon is used for high-accuracy attack and low collateral damage against light surface targets.
US Foreign Military Sales for naval technical assistance.
The Egyptian Navy continues to take advantage of the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) for naval technical assistance.
Two years ago, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 2 July that a $41.58 million delivery order from Naval Sea Systems Command includes follow-on services such as technical, logistics, training, facilities, and administrative support to the Egyptian Navy for work on ‘multiple ship platforms’.
This was part of a request made four years ago by the the Egyptian Government for a Follow on Technical Support (FOTS) that will provide material and labour services in support of the Egyptian Navy’s Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigates (FFG-7 class ships), Fast Missile Craft (FMC), Mine Hunter Coastal (MHC) ships, Coastal Mine Hunter (CMH) ships, and 25 Meter and 28 Meter Fast Patrol Craft (FPC).
Littoral patrol capability
Meanwhile, Egyptian Navy Shipyard (ENSY) is constructing sixteen new 28 meters coastal patrol boats in conjunction with United States’ Swiftships.
The construction of 28-meter costal patrol crafts (CPC28) is ongoing at the Egyptian Naval shipyard, with the Egyptian Navy’s total requirement for 50 vessels.
Egypt, Swiftships are co-producing the 28-meter costal patrol craft (CPC28) as part of a contract reached in early 2022.