Patrol Craft

[navy27hopeful]

I've been doing some research on Coastal Patrol Ships, but couldn't find lots of info on them. Can you pick a PC as your desired ship on Ship Selection? Do you deploy out at sea or do they stay close to the shore? Just curious on any info. Thanks!

 

[Capt MJ]

Navy Decommissions 3 Cyclone Patrol Craft; Looking to Shelve Mark VI Patrol Boat - USNI News

The Navy began the latest round of decommissionings of its Cyclone-class patrol craft this week, with the service retiring three PCs in ceremonies at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. USS Zephyr (PC-8), USS Shamal (PC-13) and USS Tornado (PC-14) were all ceremonially taken out of service before being...

news.usni.org

 

[OldRetSWO]

I've been doing some research on Coastal Patrol Ships, but couldn't find lots of info on them. Can you pick a PC as your desired ship on Ship Selection? Do you deploy out at sea or do they stay close to the shore? Just curious on any info. Thanks!

Not something to be around when you would be selecting and not really a great place for a junior (baby) SWO as it is so austere with regard to programs and equipment that is in place in the vast majority of other ships in the fleet. Although the chance to "drive" and otherwise do some things much earlier, it is outweighed by the absence of Anti-Air/Anti-Sub/Command and Control and other key pieces.

 

[nuensis]

No. PCs and MCMs will no longer have 1st tour officers. If any 1st tours remain, they will eventually rotate out and be replaced with 2nd tours. Getting a PC or MCM as a 2nd tour is a negotiation process that depends on a great many factors.

I believe the rationale was exactly as stated above--it's not a good platform for a new SWO to learn the core mission areas of the surface community.

If you like small boats, in addition to a 2nd tour on a PC or MCM, you could also be assigned to a Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (formerly known as Coastal Riverine Squadrons) as for shore duty following the initial division officer tours.

 

[navy27hopeful]

Not something to be around when you would be selecting and not really a great place for a junior (baby) SWO as it is so austere with regard to programs and equipment that is in place in the vast majority of other ships in the fleet. Although the chance to "drive" and otherwise do some things much earlier, it is outweighed by the absence of Anti-Air/Anti-Sub/Command and Control and other key pieces.

Thank you for the info!

 

[navy27hopeful]

No. PCs and MCMs will no longer have 1st tour officers. If any 1st tours remain, they will eventually rotate out and be replaced with 2nd tours. Getting a PC or MCM as a 2nd tour is a negotiation process that depends on a great many factors.

I believe the rationale was exactly as stated above--it's not a good platform for a new SWO to learn the core mission areas of the surface community.

If you like small boats, in addition to a 2nd tour on a PC or MCM, you could also be assigned to a Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (formerly known as Coastal Riverine Squadrons) as for shore duty following the initial division officer tours.

Thank you!