“Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella assumes command of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West” –News Release

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Members of Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella’s family put on his new shoulder boards during his promotion to vice admiral during the Pacific Area assumption of command ceremony in Alameda, California, March 26, 2026. As commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West, Buzzella oversees all Coast Guard operations across the Pacific theater- an area encompassing more than 74 million square miles. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin Wiley)

Below is a news release. When I first read it, I wondered why they had not mentioned the previous PACAREA. That was because he had been Acting Area Commander for more than eight months. Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella has a very impressive background.

His predecessor was Vice Adm. Andrew J. Tiongson who retired July 18, 2025.

March 31, 2026

Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella assumes command of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard held a formal assumption of command ceremony for Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella as he assumed the duties and responsibilities of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West Commander during an event Thursday, at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.

Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard presided over the ceremony. Senior Coast Guard leadership and distinguished guests joined in recognizing Vice Adm. Buzzella’s commitment to leading the Service.

Vice Adm. Buzzella formally assumed the responsibilities of commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing all Coast Guard operations across the Pacific theater—an area encompassing more than 74 million square miles. He reaffirmed the Service’s enduring role as a vital instrument of national power responsible for ensuring maritime safety, security, and stewardship; strengthening partnerships with allies and advancing U.S. interests throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

“It is an honor to assume command of Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West,” said Vice Adm. Buzzella. “Across this vast and vital region, Coast Guardsmen stand the watch. Every day, our crews are saving lives, protecting and ensuring we control, secure and defend our nation’s borders. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this team and remain committed to supporting the readiness, resilience, and mission excellence of the Pacific Area workforce and their families.”

As Pacific Area commander, Vice Adm. Buzzella will lead Coast Guard operations throughout the Indo-Pacific, the Polar Regions and Western Hemisphere, focusing on enhancing operational readiness, strengthening international partnerships, and advancing strategic priorities in support of national security objectives.

OPSAIL 250

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You may not have heard about this. I confess I had not, but looks fantastic. Follow the link for the details. They are planning to have 32 tall ships in New York and New Jersey for the 4th of July. Of course, EAGLE will be there and apparently at all five events. Baltimore will have an airshow with the Blue Angels as well.

Coast Guard Academy Cadets climb the rigging of Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327) while underway July, 30, 2024. The Eagle serves as a classroom at sea for Academy Cadets and future leaders in the Coast Guard. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme)

What Has Happened to PATFORSWA?

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WarshipCam -Official, March 29 at 4:49 PM
All six Bahrain-based USCG Sentinel-class cutters eastbound in the Singapore Straits – USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141),USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC-1142), USCGC Glen Harris (WPC-1144), USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC-1145), USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC-1146) & USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC-1147) – March 2026 SRC: X-@StraitsSights

I had been wondering what has happened to the Coast Guard based in Bahrain since the conflict with Iran began. It looked like their base may have been hit. Saw this today on Facebook. It looks like at least the six patrol craft are still operational and out of the danger area for now.

Apparently no plans to use them to escort ships through the Strait any time soon.

“U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Stands Still Due to Ice Conditions, Lack of Icebreakers” –Marine Link

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Ice in Lake Superior is not unusual. This photo is from 2019. “Beset in ice, the M/V Stewart J. Cort and three other Great Lakes vessels await the assistance of an icebreaker on Lake Superior.”

Marine Link reports,

“A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, and the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, the critical connection between Lakes Superior and all other Great Lakes.”

Apparently USCGC Mackinaw has had an engineering casualty and is unable to help. A Canadian icebreaker was enroute, but diverted to help Canadian vessels.

“The early opening of the St. Lawarnce Seaway and Welland Canal (emphasis applied–Chuck) has put greater demand on a mission that is not adequately resourced. Prioritization of Canadian vessels and Canadian ports comes at the expense of American Lakers and American ports.”

There are plans to provide a second Mackinaw sized icebreaker for the Lakes and the Arctic Security cutters, when completed, will be able to enter the Lakes seasonally from East Coast ports. The smaller icebreaking tugs are also to be replaced.

TSA is Getting Paid. Is the Coast Guard?

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USS LST-884 crew photo. Notice the many different uniforms, a result of the crews loss of almost everything in the fire. This picture was taken once the crew was reunited at Ulithi.

Or is it “simply forgot us?” Time to fix the broken system.

Also time to make the Coast Guard an independent agency. The eleven missions don’t really all fit in any one Department and we really don’t need a department secretary’s supervision.

“Australia Destroys Foreign Fishing Vessels in Crackdown” –Marine Link

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Marine Link reports,

The Australian Border Force (ABF) is continuing disruption operations across northern waters, with five foreign fishing vessels intercepted and destroyed at sea since the commencement of Operation BROADSTAFF…Since January 1, the ABF has intercepted 19 foreign fishing vessels in waters off northern Queensland and the Torres Strait, nine of which have been destroyed.

“Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returns to California following 3-month deployment” –News Release

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The Legend-class USCGC Stratton (WMSL 752) assumed escort duties of motor tanker Sophia and escorted the vessel from an anchorage south of Puerto Rico to an at-sea transfer with Venezuela for further disposition, Jan. 27, 2026. The Stratton’s crew returned to their home port in Alameda, California, after sailing more than 16,000 nautical miles and completing a 79-day patrol in the Caribbean. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo.

Below is a news release from District SW. It was a very different sort of deployment. I have to wonder why a West Coast cutter had to spend 79 days in the Caribbean when Atlantic Area has more than twice as many large patrol cutters and a much smaller EEZ, and the Eastern Pacific has much more drug smuggling than the Caribbean.

March 29, 2026

Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returns to California following 3-month deployment

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) returned to their home port in Alameda, Monday after sailing more than 16,000 nautical miles and completing a 79-day patrol in the Caribbean.

Stratton departed Alameda Jan. 4 and transited through the Panama Canal to support ongoing operations in the Caribbean, preventing the illicit trade of crude oil in violation of international sanctions. On Jan. 25, Stratton assumed escort duties of motor tanker Sophia and escorted the vessel from anchorage south of Puerto Rico to an at-sea transfer with Venezuela for further disposition.

Additionally, while transiting in the Eastern Pacific, Stratton’s crew operated in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South to detect, monitor, and intercept illicit narcotics. Stratton’s crew interdicted one fishing vessel at sea, exercising the North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI) standard operating procedures. Enacting NAMSI and boarding the vessel at sea allowed for the transfer of the vessel to the Mexican Navy for further disposition.

During the patrol, Stratton conducted a fueling-at-sea evolution with USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and helicopter vertical replenishments with Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen crews to resupply the cutter while deployed in the Caribbean. Additionally, the crew exercised helicopter deck landing operations with an MH-60 aircrew from the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and Coast Guard Air Station Ventura, displaying Stratton’s interoperability across different agencies and platforms.

“The Stratton crew looks forward to returning to Alameda to reunite with our friends and family,” said Capt. Dorothy Hernaez, Stratton’s commanding officer. “This was a demanding and dynamic patrol that tested our resilience and capabilities across a wide spectrum of operations. This patrol demonstrated Stratton’s essential role as a multi-mission platform capable of adapting to an evolving operational environment.”

Commissioned in 2012, Stratton is one of ten Legend-class national security cutters, and one of four homeported in Alameda. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, and can hold a crew of up to 170. National security cutters routinely conduct operations throughout the world, where their unmatched combination of range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather provides the mission flexibility necessary to conduct vital strategic missions.

The namesake of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton is Capt. Dorothy Stratton, who led the service’s all-female reserve force during World War II. Dorothy Stratton was the first female commissioned officer in the Coast Guard and commanded more than 10,000 personnel. The ship’s motto is “We Can’t Afford Not To.”

Russian Coast Guard Icebreaker Damaged/Sunk? by Ukrainian Drone in Shipyard 1000 km from Ukraine

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Hit by Ukrainian drone. The Purga icebreaking patrol vessel, which is built for the FSB Coast Guard was seriously damaged in the drone attack on March 25, 2026. Photo: Exilenova+ on Telegram

The Barents Observer reports,

A high-profile Russian security service vessel, designed for Arctic operations, has been struck by a Ukrainian drone while docked at the Vyborg shipyard near St. Petersburg.

Covert Shores goes further saying,

Mar 25: Ukrainian drones hit the Pr.23550 arctic patrol ship Purga (475) in Vyborg near St. Petersburg. Ship sunk and capsized at the quay.

In any case, it is likely the ship will be raised and returned to service.

We have previously discussed this class of ships and this ship in particular.

Containerized Hellfire/JASM Launcher / One of Many Future Containerized Launchers?

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GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, March 24, 2026 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) completed both the first integrated HELLFIRE missile live-fire and vertical-launch test from the company’s new containerized GRIZZLY launcher.

Below is a Lockeed Martin news release. The Grizzly launcher looks like maybe something the Coast Guard could use. It is a containerized M299 launcher. Presumably that means the container could house four missiles.

A standard 10 foot container is 10′ x 8′ x 8’6″, almost square looking at it end on. This looks a little taller. There are high cube containers that are 9’6″ tall.

Hellfire being loaded onto an M299 launcher.

While the launcher can be elevated to fire vertically or at an angle, it is probably loaded with the launcher horizontal.

An M299 launcher. While this one mounts one Hellfire it appears the M299 can mount other weapons as well.  Because they appear to be longer than the Hellfire (64″), they may be APKWS (74-75″).

Why put the M299 in a container?

The Navy is currently planning on having unmanned surface vessels, Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC), with containerized weapons and sensors, and some reports link this to the Navy, but Army Recognition offers another explanation,

Its tactical value is tied to concealment, mobility and responsiveness. On a battlefield where traditional launchers can be identified and targeted by drones, satellites and long-range precision fires, a containerized launcher can complicate the enemy’s detection and targeting cycle by blending more easily into support and transport environments.

Logistics uses a lot of containers and one looks very much like another, so killing the important ones is difficult, while it is easy to make replicas that are indistinguishable.

The press release makes no reference to the system being developed for any particular service, rather it states.

As a highly transportable launcher, GRIZZLY is command and control and sensor agnostic, providing an affordable and easily relocatable launcher solution to support any service or mission, anywhere.

GRIZZLY Containerized Launcher Completes Multiple Live-Fire Launch Tests
Lockheed Martin tests validate an expeditionary containerized launcher capability

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, March 24, 2026 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) completed both the first integrated HELLFIRE missile live-fire and vertical-launch test from the company’s new containerized GRIZZLY launcher.

THE BIG PICTURE
During the tests, the launcher demonstrated its ability to load and launch a missile from a 10-foot Tricon container. Built in just six months from proven weapon and launcher architectures, including the fielded M299 system, GRIZZLY delivers cost-efficient, rapid-mobility and low-observable distributed expeditionary weapon delivery capability. This provides a purpose-built asymmetric capability that seamlessly augments traditional artillery, point-defense and missile-launch systems, enhancing both flexibility and lethality.

WHY IT MATTERS

  • Confirming real-time trajectory: These tests validated GRIZZLY’s launch capability by completing all requirements. The Lockheed Martin team will continue to work with the U.S. government to refine the ongoing development of the system.
  • Cost-effective integration: The launcher uses commercial off-the-shelf materials, reducing logistics footprint and acquisition cost. By leveraging proven weapon and launcher architectures, GRIZZLY shortens acquisition cycles while minimizing logistics footprints.
  • Future readiness: As a highly transportable launcher, GRIZZLY is command and control and sensor agnostic, providing an affordable and easily relocatable launcher solution to support any service or mission, anywhere.
  • Continuous refinement: The speed of these tests continues to refine the on-going development of the system, and data collected permits rapid insertion of product improvements that best supports U.S. customer needs.

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE
“This is an example of how our Lockheed Martin team is leading innovation for our customers’ needs,” said Randy Crites, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs. “Our first live fire tests come just six months after the program began research and development, through internal Lockheed Martin investment, demonstrating our focus on quickly delivering a mobile and versatile launcher capability to defeat evolving threats.”

“GRIZZLY provides the customer versatility and flexibility for their needs, as well as an element of mobility and discreteness for offensive and defensive fires,” said Crites.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.