Cutter Escanaba is participating in Exercise UNITAS, April 15 to May 9, along with Destroyer Nitze and Frigates Boone and Thach.
Escanaba is a very internet savvy ship. You can follow her on facebook here. Other participants will include units from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.
ESCANABA still has a MSB?
Old picture.
Coverage of the exercise from Escanaba’s perspective here:
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/04/sea-services-of-the-americas-kick-off-unitas-2011/
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/04/unitas-2011-war-games-and-coded-messages/
More pictures and some additional background at Coast Guard Compass: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/05/unitas-2011-international-partners/
Some info on the Mexican Navy ship the report talks about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Baja_California
Based on the Wiki description, she is a good match for Escanaba. Very similar in many ways, very nearly the same size, virtually the same speed. The Mexican vessel is slightly longer and narrower. Reportedly she has a well deck in addition to davits. She has two remote controlled .50 cal and an auto-cannon aft in addition to the 76mm. Like the Escanaba, she has a helo deck and hanger and one of the types of helicopters she operates is the Panther, essentially an H-65. Commissioned in 2003, she is the second of a projected class of six.
Cdr Westfall tells me that the Baja California is carrying a MBB (now Eurocopter) BO-105. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBB_Bo_105). Escanaba is without a helicopter of her own.