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PACIFIC OCEAN (July 27, 2012) Ships and submarines participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2012 are in formation in the waters around the Hawaiian islands. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Keith Devinney/Released)

Back in February, 2025 I did a post “Selling Seapower / Failing PR” talking about the government public relations sites that I have linked in my Recommended Blogs list.

• Four Coast Guard run sites
• Joint Interagency Task Force South
• Three Combatant commander sites–for NORTHCOM, SOUTHCOM, and INDOPACOM
• Four numbered Fleet commands–5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd

The Coast Guard sites were:

• MyCG
• United States Coast Guard News
• Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9)
• Defense Video Information Distribution Service Coast Guard News Wire

The first three were generally very good. The fourth appeared to be underutilized. That is still the case as there has been no new material since January 15, 2026.

About a month ago I put some of these sites on an inactive list because they had not had any new material for over a month:

• US Second Fleet News last post August 10, 2025
• US Third Fleet News last post January 6, 2026
• US Naval Forces Southern Command / US Forth Fleet last post November 11, 2025
• Joint Interagency Task Force South last post November 20, 2025

I just removed Third Fleet from my inactive list because they just reported completion of the RIMPAC commanders conference, but that was only their second story this year, and more than ten weeks since the last story.

I had hoped we would see more Coast Guard stories from Joint Interagency Task Force, South (JIATF,s) and Forth Fleet. In my Feb. 2025 post I had found JIATF,S had published only seven stories in the previous year and 4th Fleet only 14, none about Coast Guard units. Now they have gone completely silent with not a single story in the last four months.

I suspect the silence may have something to do with the Operation Southern Spear, the kinetic attack on drug boats that began September 2, 2025 off Venezuela and was extended to the Eastern Pacific with the first attack in the Pacific occurring November 13. All the reporting from Operation Southern Spear is coming from SOUTHCOM.

Incidentally these attacks seem to have slowed down with only two attacks reported in the last 26 days.

The NORTHCOM online magazine, The Watch, reports,

“Arctic Edge, a multinational, multidomain exercise that began in February 2026 in Alaska and Greenland, made history in two ways. It is the first time Greenland was included in the annual exercise, which will conclude mid-March. It also is the first time that United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) organized the exercise after Greenland’s defense was transferred to USNORTHCOM from U.S. European Command last year. Canadian, Danish and U.S. forces are taking part in Arctic Edge, designed to highlight the military capabilities of the allies in an often inhospitable region…

“Arctic Edge will include NORAD and USNORTHCOM forces from Air Forces Northern, Army North, Naval Forces Northern, Marine Forces Northern, Special Operations Command North, Alaskan NORAD Region, Canadian NORAD Region, Alaska Command, and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region. Also participating are the Alaska National Guard and interagency partners including the FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and Alaska state and local law enforcement, the release stated.”

No the “U. S. Coast Guard” was not in bold on the original. I did that. Hopefully, since the exercise is probably over, we will hear what the Coast Guard did in this exercise. Normally I would expect one cutter, could there be more. How about Coast guard aircraft? C-130s, Air Station Kodiak? the new FRCs?

A U.S. Navy P-3 Orion oversees a HITRON MH-65 Dolphin and Coast Guard Cutter Forward Over-the-Horizon boat on scene with a Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, February 24, 2026. (U.S. Navy courtesy photo)(cropped)

Below is a news release from District SouthEast.

I would have thought the press release would have at least mentioned Forward’s interception of a large semi-submersible (pictured above) with an estimated 17,600 lbs of cocaine which sank before the cargo could be off-loaded, rather than leaving it as if Forward had only intercepted only 130 pounds.

Both cutters involved in the interdictions reported here are 270 foot medium endurance cutters home-ported in Portsmouth. VA.

It may seem odd that ships home-ported in Virginia are patrolling the Eastern Pacific, but Portsmouth is closer San Diego and much much closer than Port Angeles Washington where the nearest Pacific Area WMEC home-port is.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WSML 751) crew members reunite with family, friends and loved ones after returning to their Base Alameda, California, home port, Aug. 11, 2024, following a 120-day Indo-Pacific patrol. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Matthew Masaschi.

The Coast Guard is still out there doing the job even if they are not getting paid. Same for other government employees including TSA. Withholding pay is morally wrong, but it does not have to be that way. The fiction that until there is a budget the Federal government cannot pay its employees is BS. This was changed for DOD, we can change it for the entire government.

Active duty DOD military and essential civilians can continue to be paid even during a shutdown. “The law changing to ensure active-duty military were paid during a government shutdown was the Pay Our Military Act (POMA; P.L. 113-39), signed by President Barack Obama on September 30, 2013. This law was passed specifically to avoid interrupting pay to military and essential civilians during the FY2014 shutdown. (AI)”

If an employer hires someone, he is obligated to continue paying him until he is fired. No reason this should not apply to the Federal Government as well.

Even if the Federal government is “shutdown,” they continue to pay retired pay and social security. Not configuring the system to continue paying people to continue to do the business of government is a calculated decision that helps pass legislation that otherwise would not. It is as if the Uncle Sam is putting a gun to his head and threatening to commit suicide if he does not get everything he wants.

In the civilian world, if your boss stops paying you, you can quit and find another job and sue the employer for back wages. Military can’t do that, and we really don’t want other employees doing it either. The Federal Government recognizes its obligations and has always paid back pay even to worker who were told not to report for work. The result is unsatisfactory to everyone. The employees have financial hardships. Government jobs are less appealing and consequently harder to fill with qualified people. For a time the Government loses the services of many of its employees, but ends up paying them anyway. We applied a partial solution to DOD, but really we just need to recognize that the government has made a contract with its employees and it should fulfill its obligations.

There are other things they can do as well.

The Coast Guard should be an independent executive agency since no department cover all eleven Coast Guard missions. Only about half are DHS missions. We don’t really need to add additional layers of bureaucracy, the Coast Guard leadership is going to have to testify before Congress anyway.

We don’t have to lump everything together. We could avoid a lot of delay if each agency budget was voted on separately. A thousand pages of justification for hundreds of programs really does not facilitate decision making. Better to quickly approve the programs that have bipartisan support, like the Coast Guard, rather than have them mired in contentious debate over unrelated issues.

The US Naval Institute has announced its 2026 Coast Guard Essay Contest.  I am a bit late putting this out, but you have four weeks until the deadline for submission, Tax Day, April 15, 2026.

Here is what they say,

The Challenge

What changes should the U.S. Coast Guard make today to meet the Nation’s maritime security challenges 5, 10, or 20 years in the future? All topics are welcome, and no issue is too big or too small. Authors might consider:

• Changes to missions and force structure
• How best to integrate the Coast Guard’s unique authorities and capabilities with the other Sea
  Services
• Innovative ideas to make the Coast Guard a more capable instrument of national power, including platforms and technologies
• Barriers to mission execution and how to remove them
• How to better leverage partnerships at home and abroad

Consider how to make the Coast Guard stronger. This does not mean authors cannot be critical and take on “it’s always been done that way” practices. In fact, we encourage you to push the “dare factor.”

Submission Guidelines

• Open to all contributors — active-duty, military, reservists, veterans, and civilians.
• Essays must be no more than 2,500 words, excluding end notes and sources. Include word count on title page of the essay.
• Essays are judged in the blind. Do not include author name(s) on the title page or within the body of the essay.
• Submit essay as a Word document at www.usni.org/cgessay no later than 15 April 2026.
• Essay must be original and not previously published (online or in print) or being considered for publication elsewhere.

First Prize: $5,000

Second Prize: $2,500

Third Prize: $1,500

Selection Process

The Proceedings staff members will evaluate every essay and screen the top essays to a special Essay Selection Committee of at least six members who will include two members of the Naval Institute’s Editorial Board and four subject experts. All essays will be judged in the blind—i.e., the Proceedings staff members and judges will not know the authors of the essays. Since we receive so many submissions (more than 100 per month!), notification of acceptance on one of our platforms can take 4-6 months. We will notify you via email if your essay is selected for a prize or for publication.

Covert Shores has an excellent article on uncrewed surface vessels (USV) including their evolution and tactics.

I had a recent post that discussed a possible role for PATFORSWA Webber class WPCs in countering this threat.

Once again, Sal is the essential source.

It seems Iran has control of the Strait and is letting a few ships through.

In fact, Iran is apparently selling more oil this month than they did last month.

Threats to shipping passing the Hormuz Strait include ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Unscrewed Air Systems (UAS), submarines, small manned surface craft, and Unscrewed Surface Vessels (USV). It appears the submarine and manned surface craft threats have been neutralized. Provided there are a few destroyers, helicopters, and fighter aircraft providing zone defense, to take out the ballistic and cruise missiles and most UAS, it seems the USVs may be one of the most effective threats because of their numbers, minimal support requirements, small radar signature, and large warhead which explodes at the waterline.

Above is a video from Ukrainian Forces of USV attacks on the Russian shadow fleet. Notice the attacks all are from the stern.

USV damage–Iranian media

A recent attack by an Iranian USV Ilooks to have been similar.

A Thai-flagged cargo vessel, Mayuree Naree Bangkok, was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, leaving 3 of its 23 crew missing. The ship had departed Dubai and was heading to India when struck near its stern. #Iran

I have noticed that in most of the videos of uncrewed surface drone attacks, the attacks generally approach from stern and most frequently the attack detonates at the stern.

I think there are at least two reasons for the attacks from the stern. First, it is a more vulnerable area in terms of disabling the ship. This is the reason I want the Coast Guard to have access to torpedoes that target the propellers and rudder. On most merchant ships, the stern is also where the ship’s control stations and crew accommodations are.

Second if the target is moving and the targeting logic is a pursuit curve (always point at the target and use higher speed to close the target) the USV will always approach from the stern.

While leading the target (constant bearing/decreasing range) is more efficient, it might not be possible if the USV’s camera is fixed to face forward and the field of view is limited. Even if the operator leads the target a little, the USV will always approach abaft the beam to keep the target visible in a fixed forward facing camera’s field of view.

What does this mean for escorting shipping?

The PATFORSWA Webber class WPCs (and LCS) may have a role in escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz providing a last line of defense against UAS and USVs. I would have hoped the Webber class were better equipped, but it might still be possible to supplement their weapons by putting a squad of Marines aboard.

Knowing that approach from the stern is most likely, will influence the positioning of escorting vessels and where additional weapons and lookouts might be positioned.

U.S. Coast Guardsmen assigned to the fast response cutter USCGC William Hart (WPC 1134) approach the pier while mooring up on Coast Guard Base Honolulu March 15, 2026. While deployed in support of Operation Blue Pacific, the crew worked alongside Pacific Island partners to bolster maritime security and sovereignty, countering illicit maritime activities and transnational criminal organizations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Corinne Zilnicki)

Below is a news release from District Oceania. 48 days away from homeport and 7,000 miles transit is pretty impressive for a 154 foot cutter with a normal crew of 24.

There are suggestions the Coast Guard will establish a new base in American Samoa where ships of this class would be based, which would make long deployments like these less necessary, while providing greater presence.

The linked news release has more photos and videos including boat launch and recovery.

American Samoa lower left–Google Earth

The Independence class LCS USS Canberra, in front, sails together with the M/V Seaway Hawk carrying the decommissioned Avenger class on January 20, 2026. USN

The War Zone reports, “U.S. Navy Minesweepers Assigned To Middle East Have Been Moved To Pacific.”

It remains to be seen how long the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara will remain in Malaysia, and where they might sail after they depart. Where USS Canberra is currently is still unknown, as is whether any additional mine countermeasures configured ships are on the way to the Middle East.

For the moment, at least, a substantial portion of the Navy’s minesweeping capacity in the region, amid a major conflict with an opponent experienced in mine warfare, is now thousands of miles away in a completely different part of the world.

They also report continued difficulty with the mine countermeasures systems being used on Independence class Littoral Combat Ships.

With plans to begin escorting merchant ships through the Straits of Hormuz I expect the six Webber class WPCs will have a role, but I also expected these ships to have a role as well, perhaps providing close escort to high priority vessels given their RAM missile launchers and 57mm Mk110 gun mounts.

PACIFIC OCEAN (May, 12, 2022) – An AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile launches from the Surface-To-Surface Missile Module (SSMM) aboard Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8). The missile exercise was the first proof of concept launch of the Longbow Hellfire missile against land-based target. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Samuel Hardgrove)

They may also have vertical launch Hellfire, which has proven effective against both low altitude subsonic air and surface targets.

Gun Mission Module by Northrop Grumman

They do not seem to have been equipped with the 30mm Mk 46 mounts, which would be useful against both unscrewed surface and air attack systems.

Helicopters operating from these ships could also be effective against several threats.

I suppose they may be being reequipped for the escort role.