NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN –
Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) Detachment Bahrain completed USS Whirlwind’s (PC 11) Docking Phased Maintenance Availability (DPMA) on Jan. 15.
"It is the effective partnership of our organic FDRMC team, our local national contractors, USS Whirlwind crew, and support from stateside units that continues to ensure success in these availabilities,” said FDRMC Det Bahrain Officer in Charge, Cmdr. Sarah Zarro.
The team completed extensive work, including the underwater hull plate replacements, sea chest and anchor chain preservation, shaft replacement, rudders, and fin stabilizer repairs and other structural work on the more than 24-year-old ship. Modernization of the HVAC system was also accomplished during the availability. Stern tube replacements were executed successfully for the second ship in a row. FDRMC Det Bahrain is continuing to lead the refinement of the stern tube replacement process with the In-Service Engineering Agent.
"The USS Whirlwind is an important part of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet forward deployed presence, as such, our mission to fix this ship and keep it on patrol is critical to supporting U.S. Navy and our nation's missions in the region," Zarro said.
FDRMC Detachment Bahrain supports 10 Patrol Boats and four Mine Countermeasures ships which are homeported in Bahrain. Additionally, the detachment supports numerous ships deployed in support of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
The USS Whirlwind, commissioned in 1995, is a coastal patrol boat of the Cyclone class and is homeported in Manama, Bahrain. It is the eleventh of its class. The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy's strategy, "Forward...From the Sea."