Virginian Pilot – Just like their names ñ Whirlwind, Squall, Hurricane and Thunderbolt ñ the Navyís fleet of patrol coastal ships has had a storm-tossed history. After operating the 13 sleek, compact craft for the first six years of their lives, the Navy decided in 1998 the gas guzzlers were too expensive to maintain and began getting rid of them. The service volunteered to give five to the Coast Guard and sell others to allied navies???Now the Navy is taking them all back.
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