A U.S. military ship docks at Golfito Port

Published Wednesday, May 20, 2020

A U.S. military ship
docks at Golfito Port

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Congress approved the Government's request, file No. 21961, to grant the berthing, stay in port, and disembarkation permission for the U.S. Navy crew of the USS Tornado (WPC-14) at Golfito Port, Puntarenas Province.

According to the U.S. Naval Vessel Register, the USS Tornado (WPC-14) is the fourteenth and last "Cyclone" class patrol coastal ship, notable for being the only ship in the class designed with shaping features for signature management.

The ship was laid down by Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana in 1998, and launched in 1999. It was commissioned by the United States Navy in 2000, decommissioned and in 2004 was transferred to the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Tornado (WPC-14 ).

The Tornado general characteristics are: a Cyclone-class patrol ship, displacement 331 tons, 179 ft length, 25 ft beam, 7.5 ft draft, the installed power are two CAT Marine SSDG, has 4 Paxman Valenta diesel engines, 31 knots speed. It also includes boats and approximately a crew of 3 officers, 2 chiefs, and 25 enlisted, according to the U.S. Naval Vessel Register.

The ship patrol carries an armament of two Mk38 chain guns, two Mk19 grenade launchers, two machine guns and six stinger missiles, reported the Naval register.

Although the original request included a crew landing permit, a letter sent by the Ministry of Security to Congress reported that crews will not disembark due to the emergency by covid-19.

One of the deputies who voted in favor of allowing the ship to dock was Zoila Volio-Pacheco, who said that these ships are of great importance for the fight against drug trafficking.

Another deputy who approved the ship docking was Gustavo Viales -Villegas, from the National Liberation political party. He favored the arrival of the ship as long as the sanitary measure was respected by the crew and they were not allowed to disembark due to the emergency on covid-19 in the country.

The Tornado will remain docked at Golfito Port until September 30, Congress reported.

In Oct 2019, Congress approved the request for docking, a port stay and liberty for the crew of the U.S. Navy's Cincinnati at the same port in Golfito.

In Nov. 2019, the U.S. Embassy organized a presentation of the ship to the media with an hour-long guided tour.

The embassy staff and Michael Soto, Minister of Security, along with several members of the Legislative Assembly visited the ship, "to learn more about the capabilities of this vessel and how it could cooperate with Costa Rica in various missions, including humanitarian aid," said the U.S. Embassy in its statement.

The U.S. Navy ship was docked at the port of Golfito to refuel and food, said the embassy.

"This vessel is used to provide humanitarian assistance, search and rescue operations and combat illegal trafficking of people, weapons and drugs."

According to the embassy, the USS Cincinnati is the fifth ship of the Navy that honors the third-largest city in Ohio bearing the same name. The first to bear this name was an iron-clad vessel that was used during the Civil War and was sunk by Confederate fire during the attack on Fort Pillow, raised and sunk again during the siege of Vicksburg. The boat was raised a second time and served out the war.

The second Cincinnati was a commissioned cruise ship in 1894 that served in the Caribbean before, during and after the Spanish-American war before being taken out of service in 1919.

The third vessel that carried this name was a light cruiser commissioned in 1924 that served around the world and obtained a battle star for its service in World War II that included convoy escort and blocking duty. This vessel was decommissioned in 1945 when the war ended.

The fourth Cincinnati was a Los Angeles-class rapid attack submarine, commissioned in 1978. The ship served for 17 years before being taken out of service in 1995.

"This ship is a symbol of the strong connection between the people of Cincinnati and the work teams of the Navy and the Marines," said Richard V. Spencer, the secretary of the Navy. He added that the boat is a sign of the commitment to increase the fleet and the alliance with the industry and the Americans.

This ship is modular and reconfigurable, designed to operate on the coastlines and in the open sea. It can respond to evolving threats through integration with innovative mine search technology, depth probe and surface engagement, said the Navy. The ship satisfies a vital need for the U.S. Naval to operate in shallow waters and offshore, officials added.

Seventy officers and enlisted personnel make up the Cincinnati crew, which has its home base in San Diego, California.

The warship is an Independence-class littoral combat vessel. It has an unusual shape dominated by a helicopter landing pad.

The ship commander had the option to extend the stay until Dec. 2019, according to the statement sent to Congress by the Ministry of Public Security.

Under Costa Rican law, Congress must approve the docking of any foreign warships.

According to Congress, the ship has the purpose of refueling and taking on other supplies, as well as giving rest to the crew and exchanging experiences with the authorities of the Ministry of Security, related to the joint patrol agreement that is regulated by law.

According to the government, the joint patrol agreement between Costa Rica and the United States has the goal of suppressing illicit drug trafficking and was approved as Law No. 7929 and has been in force since Oct. 28, 1999.

The legal agreement contemplates the entry of U.S. vessels to Costa Rican waters to intercept ships suspected of drug trafficking as well as to capture their occupants.

The approval of this agreement took place after the court indicated some modifications that should be made to the original text so that the final text did not violate national sovereignty.

Within the scope of this international cooperation agreement is the supply of equipment, as well as information to the Costa Rican authorities to carry out a more effective fight against drug trafficking.

The contract has provided the country with a valuable tool in the fight against other crimes, such as human trafficking in Costa Rican waters, said the government.

Similarly, by receiving more resources for the National Coast Guard Service, the country has achieved better compliance with its maritime legislation, since the service has been able to carry out greater control of crimes such as illegal fishing, the government said.

Coast Guard authorities have been able to improve their ability to carry out search and rescue operations, both for fishermen and tourists who are victims of a mishap at sea, the government added.

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Should Congress authorize the arrival of more ships from the U.S. Navy in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com