Maritime SOF: Patrol Coastal Ships -- A Vital Asset to the Theater CINC

Abstract

The Cyclone Class Patrol Coastal (PC) ship is a valuable asset that the Theater Commander-in-Chief (CINC) uses in his plan for engagement in his Area of Responsibility. These ships provide a capability needed for the conduct and support of Special Operations missions in the littoral waters of the world. Lessons learned as a result of escorting tankers during Operation Earnest Will and patrolling and interdicting ships along the coasts of Iraq during the Gulf War brought about the Cyclone Class PC ship. Since 1993, the PC has proven an important asset in the engagement strategy of Theater CINCs. As a Special Forces asset, they are capable of conducting or directly supporting the following Special Operations missions: Unconventional Warfare, Direct Action, Special Reconnaissance, Foreign Internal Defense, and Counterterrorism. In addition to these operations, their inherent capabilities make them suitable for employment in additional missions: Counterdrug, Security Assistance, Humanitarian Assistance, Personnel Recovery, and Support to Coalitions. The ability to conduct these missions makes the PC a viable and flexible asset for the CINC to use in creating and maintaining a common bond with countries within his region. There are currently not enough PCs to accommodate all of the CINCs' requests. The present U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) plan calls for a force reduction to 6 PCs by the year 2005. Unless this trend is halted, the CINCs will lose a very important tool for conducting littoral operations. The author recommends allocating the funding needed to maintain the current PC force level in the fleet, continuing to look at options that will ensure all CINCs receive the PC availability they need to accomplish their missions, and look to the future for a replacement vessel once the service life of the PC has terminated.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA529635

Entities

People

  • C. J. Gilbert

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boats
  • Coast Guard
  • Counterterrorism
  • Employment
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Patrol Craft
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Unconventional Warfare
  • United States European Command
  • United States Southern Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control