US Navy adds ships to boost presence in Arabian Gulf

The US Navy has decided to add three more patrol coastal ships to its force in the Arabian Gulf, with a total of eight patrol coastal ships to be permanently stationed in the US Fifth Fleet area of responsibility.

According to Gulf News, Tempest, Squall and Thunderbolt arrived in Bahrain on July 3, with Hurricane and Monsoon projected to complete the Navy's plan to station 10 PCs in Bahrain by the spring of 2014, with the US Navy saying in a statement that PC's were a fast, reliable platform that could respond to emergent requirements in a shallow water environment.

According to the Commander of the US Naval Forces, the additional PCs in Bahrain would give flexibility and allow for continued maritime security operations and theatre security cooperation in the Fifth Fleet.

The US Fifth Fleet area of responsibility encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area including the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, the report said.