Home Africa Egypt receives three Cyclone-class patrol craft from the US

Egypt receives three Cyclone-class patrol craft from the US

Photo: US Navy

The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) has transferred three Cyclone-class patrol craft to the Egyptian Navy with a formal ceremony held in Alexandria, Egypt.

The boats were handed over to the Egyptian Navy on March 21, after several weeks of preparation, training, and professional exchanges between US Navy sailors and their Egyptian counterparts.

In January through February, the US Navy sailed the former patrol coastal ships USS Hurricane (PC 3), USS Sirocco (PC 6), and USS Thunderbolt (PC 12) from Bahrain to Egypt during a month-long journey around the Arabian Peninsula before turning them over to Egypt.

After sailing from Bahrain to Egypt during a month-long journey around the Arabian Peninsula, US and Egyptian crewmembers worked side-by-side, navigating the three patrol craft on a 4,000-mile transit to Alexandria that included port visits to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, Duqm, Oman, Djibouti, and Berenice, Egypt.

After arriving in Alexandria on February 12, US and Egyptian service members continued their training with classroom lessons that covered engineering, search and rescue, damage control, and weapons handling.

Capt. Anthony Webber, commander of Task Force 55, said, “This transfer process was an incredible opportunity for our crews. It enabled us to strengthen our bilateral ties while enhancing our interoperability with a highly capable regional maritime partner.”