Thunder (F90)
NNS Thunder (F90) is the newest frigate in the Nigerian Navy . The former United States Coast Guard Cutter (CGC) was bought by Nigeria in 2011 and complements the Aradu .
USCGC Chase
As USCGC Chase (WHEC-718), the ship had an eventful history. Home port was Boston (Massachusetts). After commissioning in 1968, it took part in Operation Market Time in the Vietnam War and was involved in twelve skirmishes. The ship was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Vietnam Service Medal for its work.
It was then used for scientific purposes in the Caribbean, crossing the Arctic Circle in 1972 and visiting countries in Northern Europe. After visiting Europe, the Chase returned to American waters in 1980. In the 1980s, the ship was widely used to take in refugees, such as off Cuba, Grenada and Haiti.
On May 8, 1985, a 22-year-old machinist Nicholas V. Bereiaus from Philadelphia died when a fire broke out in the engine room. He was flown to Cape Cod and buried there.
In 1989 the ship was modernized at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Portland (Maine). In 1991 the ship became the new home port of San Pedro (California). The ship was then mainly used in training operations and controlled the arms embargo against Iraq in the Persian Gulf .
Nigeria takes over the ship
In May 2011, the ship was ceremonially handed over to the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Coast Guard Island in Alameda (California). Nigeria spent around $ 8 million to update weapons and navigation systems. In January 2012 the ship entered Nigerian waters fully functional.
Incidents
In 2012, the Thunder collided with a small supply ship from Total in a Nigerian port . The Total ship was listed. A ship from the Bourbon company hurried to the aid of the Total ship and moored alongside the ship. A sailor in the Nigerian Navy went missing. The search for him was unsuccessful. A seaman of the Total ship was trapped in the hull of the ship. Divers cut a hole in the hull and freed the man. After investigations it was established that the Thunder was responsible for the accident.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Total Vessel and Nigerian Navy collide - One man missing ( Memento from March 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive )