U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
On the Web:
http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=346
Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public contact:
http://www.defense.gov/landing/comment.aspx
or +1 (703) 571-3343

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 037-95
January 26, 1995

NAVY TO COMMISSION COASTAL PATROL

SHIP CHINOOK (PC 9)

The Navy will commission the patrol ship, Chinook (PC 9) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 1995, at the City Marina in Saint Augustine, Florida.

Representative Tillie K. Fowler of Florida will be the ceremony's principal speaker. Sandra K. Saville, an attorney from Anchorage, Alaska, the Sponsor for Chinook, will also attend the ceremony.

Chinook (PC 9) is the ninth of 13 Cyclone Class vessels authorized to be built by Congress, and is named for a weather element. Chinook's primary mission is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy's strategy, "Forward ...From the Sea." The ship will also provide full mission support for naval special warfare forces.

Chinook's armament includes a Stinger missile station, 40mm grenade launchers, .50 caliber machine guns and 25mm chain guns. The ship has a crew of four officers and 24 sailors, is 170 feet in length, has a beam of 25 feet, and displaces approximately 313 tons fully loaded. LT Brian D. Peterson, U.S. Navy, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, is the ship's prospective commanding officer.