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USS Squall (PC-7)

1994 MODERN NAVY

History of USS Squall (PC-7)

The USS Squall (PC-7) is the seventh of fourteen active Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships in the United States Navy (USN). There were 16 groups initially planned.

First commissioned in 1993, the small fleet is used beyond general patrol duties - it is also used to support interception missions, amphibious operations and special forces (i.e. Navy SEALs) missions.

USS Squall was ordered 8/3/1990 and launched on 2/17/1993 from Bollinger Machine Shop & Shipyard, Puget Sound NSY, Bremerton, Washington (as part of the PMS470 program). She expired on August 28 of that year, was delivered to the U.S.

Navy on May 9, 1994, and officially commissioned on July 4 of the same year. As part of the U.S. Fifth Fleet (U.S. Atlantic Fleet), she builds her homeport from USN Base Naval Support Operations Bahrain (Manama) in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The ship has a displacement of 330-335 tons, a length of 174 feet, a beam of 25 feet, and a draft of up to 7.5 feet. The latter characteristic enables her to fight close to the coast and participate in coastal combat operations and exercises.

Installed power ranges from 4 x 3,350hp Paxman diesel engines to 4 x axles under the stern, propelling the vessel to a speed of 35 knots. Range up to 2,500 nautical miles depending on load. There were four officer-ranked personnel and twenty-four enlisted personnel on board.

The mounted weapon is centered on 2 x 25mm Mk 38 autocannons, one at the front and the other at the rear. The warship also carries 2 x 40mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers and up to 4 x .50 caliber heavy machine guns. For short-range air defense, the crew has 6 x FIM-92 "Stinger" rocket launchers, which can use shoulder fire.

Precision-guided surface-to-surface AGM-176 Griffin ammunition is also part of the Squall weapon kit.

All of this makes the Squall a close-range fighter. She can use her speed to intercept or shut down attacking ships, and her weapons make her both offensive and defensive.

The shape of the USS Squall is typical of the series. The bridge is located above the central superstructure. One of the 25mm turrets was mounted above the forecastle. The main mast is located on the deck and aft. Various sensors and communication systems adorn the mast and the middle eight of the superstructure.

The Squall is too compact to support an aviation detachment, but is capable of operating small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supported by USN services. Her hull is made of steel and the superstructure is mainly made of aluminum.

Recently, USS Squall has been active in the waters of the Persian Gulf and has repeatedly clashed with Iranian naval personnel. Despite her age (now over 23), the ship is and should remain in service with the U.S. Navy for the foreseeable future.