Navy PCs Support Operation Martillo, WPCs Next?

Navy photo: The U.S. Navy Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships assigned to Patrol Coastal Squadron 1 (PCRON 1), USS Hurricane (PC-3), USS Chinook (PC-9) and USS Typhoon (PC-5), transit in formation during a divisional tactics exercise in the Persian Gulf.

The Navy has announced they have three 387 ton (fl) Cyclone class patrol craft based in Mayport, rotating through the 4th Fleet’s area in support of Operation Martillo, the counter drug operation off Central America.

We know there are not enough ships to respond to all the intelligence we have on drug trafficing in SouthCom’s area of responsibility.

These little ships are considerably smaller than those we normally send South, but they are very similar in size to the new 353 ton Webber class WPCs. We have six Webber class in Miami, six in Key West, and will soon have six in Puerto Rico. If we could rotate some of these through the Transit zones, they might make a difference.

Thanks to Lee for bringing this to my attention.

4 thoughts on “Navy PCs Support Operation Martillo, WPCs Next?”

The key to ops in the Fourth Fleet & Carib is maintaining vessels on-station. The usual RTB approach leaves gaps as big as an ocean. So both USN and USCG vessels need a forward logistics ship to let the stay forward. PCs have about a 10-14 day endurance. Can the FRCs endurance be be synchronized with that?

Not to mention drug interdiction further afield. And in addition, there is a significant amount of inter-naval force actions (is that MIO?) which go on and so more vessels are needed to cover the Fourth Fleet AO which goes from Pacific to Atlantic ocean, a huge areas

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Chuck Hill on December 22, 2015 at 6:21 pm said:

They would certainly benefit from some place to replenish. I know CG vessels frequently go into Costa Rica. Presume they might go into Colombia too.

Any comments from readers?

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