THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 9, 1994 TAG: 9409090542
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Two of the Navy's new coastal patrol ships returned to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Thursday, after 13 weeks at sea off Haiti.
The Cyclone, commanded by Lt. Mark Young, and the Tempest, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Henry Smith, spent 70 days conducting maritime interdiction operations to support United Nations resolutions aimed at restoring democracy in the Caribbean nation.
The two ships have 28-member crews. They also carried members of SEAL Teams 4 and 8, plus members of rigid-hull inflatable boat units and Special Boat Unit 20 from Little Creek.
Also working with the vessels were members of Patrol Coastal Mobile Support Team 2, led by Chief Warrant Officer David Mouldin, which returned to Little Creek last Friday. The 12-member team is a self-contained maintenance crew that conducts repairs on the ships.
The Cyclone and Tempest were relieved last week by two sister ships, the Monsoon and Hurricane, both based in San Diego.
The craft also participated in combined operations with patrol vessels from the Dominican Republic and operated with Coast Guard ships in helping to rescue Haitian migrants.
The vessels are 170 feet long and among the fastest in the Navy, capable of exceeding 35 knots.
They also are agile enough to turn around on their axis.
With a draft of just under eight feet, the ships can cruise up to within a few hundred yards of a beach, although in Haiti they usually stayed about a mile offshore.
KEYWORDS: HAITI by CNB