USS Typhoon (PC-5)

USS Typhoon (PC-5) is the fifth United States Navy Cyclone class patrol (coastal) ship. Typhoon was laid down 15 May 1992 at Bollinger Shipyards, in Lockport, Louisiana and launched 3 March 1993. She was commissioned 12 February 1994 in Tampa, Florida. As of 2008, Typhoon operates in the Persian Gulf, stationed in Manama, Bahrain since 2004 and is manned by one of 13 rotating 30-person US Navy crews and a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) that performs ship boardings.

History
Typhoon participated in BALTOPS 95.

In August 2001, Typhoon visited Koper, Slovenia to participate in joint training with the Slovene patrol ship Ankaran.

Typhoon returned to Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek 9 May 2003 following a deployment in support of the global war on terrorism. Typhoon lost a crewmember when Engineman 2nd Class Douglas Bolles was lost at sea after falling overboard from a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) off Cape Henry on 7 November 2003 and subsequently found to have removed his life vest. Bolles body was recovered 22 November 2003.

Service in the Middle East
At the end of April 2004, Typhoon and USS Sirocco (PC-6) departed Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek for the Persian Gulf to relieve USS Firebolt (PC-10) and USS Chinook (PC-9). The ships were to be deployed for 18 months while crews would be swapped every six months. The ships were escorted by USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201) during the trans-Atlantic portion of the trip. In June 2004, Typhoon and Sirocco arrived in the Persian Gulf to assist in maritime security operations and enforce a 2,000 meter exclusion zone around the Al Basrah (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya (KAAOT) oil terminals.

In December 2004, Typhoon responded to a distress call from a dhow and rescued an unconscious fisherman knocked overboard by a winch handle while hauling in fishing nets. The fisherman was transferred to USS Essex (LHD-2).

In May 2005, Typhoon participated in the rescue of 89 people from a small dhow which capsized in the Gulf of Aden, 25 miles off the coast of Somalia.

In April 2006, Typhoon performed maritime security operations with HNLMS Amsterdam and USCGC Wrangell (WPB-1332) off the Horn of Africa and in the Arabian Sea. Typhoon used her smaller size and faster speed to intercept dhows and other merchant vessels to gather intelligence on maritime activity and prevent piracy and terrorism in the area.

On 7 September 2007, sailors from Typhoon rescued seven mariners adrift on a raft in the Persian Gulf. At the time, Typhoon was based in Bahrain providing security for Iraqi oil platforms in the northern Persian Gulf and participating in Maritime Security Operations.

Encounter with Iranian craft
On Friday, 11 April 2008, Typhoon was approached to within 200 yards by a small Iranian craft, outside Iranian territorial waters while transiting from the central to the northern Persian Gulf. According to reports, there were three speed boats of unidentified origin and Typhoon fired a flare as a warning after receiving no response from the boats on bridge-to-bridge maritime radio. Typhoon then continued on its course without further incident. This was the second such incident that occurred between US Navy ships and Iranian craft that year.