The US Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships USS Shamal (pictured), USS Zephyr, and USS Tornado were recently decommissioned in separate ceremonies at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
During their more than 20 years in service, the three ships were used in counter-narcotics patrols and illegal migration patrols in the coastal waters of the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands.
The navy said the patrol coastal ships were originally built with a 15-year design life service. However, with incremental modernisation and maintenance periods, this class of ship has reached an average age of 26 years.
The decision to decommission these three ships stems from the fact that they have all exceeded their designed service life.
Based on the rising cost of modernisation efforts, the navy will receive a better return by decommissioning and freeing up funds to invest in other platforms.
With the decommissioning of Shamal, Tornado, and Zephyr, there are now a total of 10 patrol coastal ships remaining in service, all of which are homeported in Manama, Bahrain.
Following their decommissioning ceremonies, the ships will be designated as "out of commission in reserve" and will sail to the navy's Inactive Ship's facility in Philadelphia, where they will await their official decommissioning designation in March 2021.
