Press Release - August 30, 1999
LOCKPORT,
La...Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La. has
launched the USS TORNADO (PC-14), the U. S. Navy’s
newest Patrol Coastal Ship. It is the 14th
of the Cyclone Class built by Bollinger under a sole-source
contract with the Navy, and the first to include design
modifications, equipment and armament upgrades as
part of the Navy’s Pre-Planned Product Improvement
Program. Delivery is scheduled for the spring of 2000.
Based on the proven
Vosper Thornycroft Ramadan class design and modified
to meet Navy requirements, one readily visible change
is the extension of the stern which includes a ramp
for the launch and recovery, while underway, of naval
special warfare boats. In the process, the TORNADO
has "grown" to 179 feet in length while
earlier models were 170 feet long. Also included are
design changes to decrease the vessel’s susceptibility
to radar detection by reducing its signature.
TORNADO boasts a new,
fully integrated bridge command and control system
to increase the vessel’s capabilities. It is equipped
with a satellite navigation system, forward looking
infrared and a surface radar with collision avoidance
capabilities. Communications include Navy standard
interior and external voice communications systems.
The weapons suite
includes: one 25mm Mk38, one 25mm Mk96, two 50-caliber
machine guns; an M-60 machine gun, 40mm Mk19 grenade
launcher; a Stinger missile station, and a Super barricade.
TORNADO and other
Bollinger-built Cyclone Class patrol boats feature
hulls and main decks made of steel and aluminum superstructures.
The vessel which is
fully operational through Sea Sate 3, is 179 feet
long, with a 26-foot beam and a draft of less than
eight feet. It is powered by four Paxman diesel engines
developing a total of 13,400 HP, driving four, 42
inch diameter propellers through Reintjes 2.025:1reverse/reduction
gears. Electrical power is provided by two 150Kw Caterpillar
generators. Continuous speed is above 35 knots, and
maximum range at 12 knots is over 2,500 nautical miles.
TORNADO has a fuel
capacity of 15,000 U. S. gallons and 1,200 gallons
of potable water produced by three water makers. It
has quarters and dining facilities for 39, including
four officers, 24 enlisted (plus three additional
berths), and an eight man U. S. Navy SEAL detachment.
Displacement is 360
long tons at light ship.
Scott Theriot, executive
vice-president/new construction of Bollinger said,
"The multi-mission Cyclone PC’s have performed
so well that they are now being used on missions that
just a few years ago would have been assigned to larger
and more expensive vessels. They have been involved
in enforcing U.N. trade sanctions, conducting numerous
interdictions and boardings, and have been deployed
to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Pacific and the Middle
East."
Theriot said, "Bollinger
has extensive experience in the design and construction
of high speed military vessels. We built all 49 of
the U. S. Coast Guard’s 110-foot Island Class patrol
boats, one of which has been seen by millions of people
worldwide in the dramatic opening scene of the Tom
Clancy movie, `Clear And Present Danger,’ and we have
delivered ten of 32, 87-foot Marine Species Class
patrol boats to the Coast Guard."
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. is the foremost
provider of marine repair and conversion services
and a leading builder of new construction services
to the energy, commercial and government marine markets
in the Gulf of Mexico region. Family owned and operated
since 1946, Bollinger operates eight ISO 9001 certified
shipyards strategically located throughout South Louisiana
with direct access to the central Gulf of Mexico.
The company has earned a leading reputation for superior
quality and timely services for its customers, while
offering diverse capabilities in many business sectors.
