This morning CGBlog passed the mark of a quarter million hits. Thanks to our readers and especially to those who provide constructive comments that add so much to the site.
This milestone was reached more than six weeks earlier than last year.
The Navy commissions its first “airship” in fifty years. Interesting to see a renewed interest in lighter-than-air aircraft in the Army (here, here, and here), Air Force (here and here), and now the Navy. The Navy’s airship appears to be the same blimp involved in the Deepwater Horizon response.
The Cutterman website and coastguardchannel.com are sharing a link to a story with many elements of Douglas Munro‘s rescue of Marines from a beach on Guadalcanal.
Troops were trapped, having been ambushed and surrounded, their backs to the sea. Unless rescued by boat, death seemed certain.
This time the troops were nine South Vietnamese soldiers; the enemy, an estimated two Viet Cong platoons (about 60 men); the boat that came to their rescue, the Point Banks’ small boat, a 13’4″ Boston Whaler armed with a single M-60 machine gun. The Coast Guardsmen were Gunner’s Mate First Class Willis J. Goff and Engineman Second Class Larry D. Villarreal. They made the trip twice, overloading the boat each time. Both were awarded the Silver Star for their actions. GMCM Bill Wells tells the story:
http://www.berthdeck.com/Articles/PointBanksHeroes.pdf
Sounds like two more potential Fast Response Cutter names.
The Naval Institute has a good review of recent developments in the Russian Arctic, written by Captain Lawson Brigham, USCG (ret.).
Looks like the Russians are opening up this formerly closed area for commerce and exploitation. Moreover they have settled their boundary dispute with Norway and their handling of hydro-carbon deposit that straddles the new Russia-Norway EEZ boundary will provide precedence for handling other similar situations. The infrastructure appears to be growing rapidly and year round operations are planned.
(Note the US and Canada still have an outstanding dispute over a boundary line in the Arctic.)
As noted previously, Somali pirates seem to be having a harder time this year. Additionally we continue to see both increased acceptance of the efficacy of armed security guards and increasing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Eaglespeak shows how the piracy problem off Somalia has increased in recent years with an animated display of attacks on a yearly basis from 2005 to Oct. 2011 that dramatically shows both the increasing number of attacks and the progressively greater geographic distribution of attacks.
The good news is that while the number of attacks is up, the number of seizures is down from this time last year. “Only 24 vessels were hijacked this year compared with 35 for the same period in 2010.”
It is probably premature, but the Somalia Report is suggesting we may be seeing an end to piracy in the region as we have come to know it. Others are not convinced.
Since the last report, it has been a bad couple of weeks for Somali pirates. Looking at the NATO data base, there have been six attacks, but none have been successful. In fact, the period has been a net loss for pirates with one of their previously seized mother ships, the 100-ton fishing dhow Hibid Fidi, being recaptured by British commandos, freeing its Pakistani crew. A few days earlier Brits from the RFA Fort Victoria, with support from a USN helicopter from the frigate USS De Wert, broke up an attack on an Italian vessel, the 56,000-ton bulk carrier Montecristo. The vessel’s crew of 23 had taken shelter in the ship’s citadel. Meanwhile Somali authorities claim to have captured 15 would be pirates.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria, from Wikipedia Commons, by User:Sreejithk2000
Use of the Fort Victoria, an underway replenishment ship, shows again that, at least for this type of sea control, you do not necessarily need a frigate, any armed vessel with a helicopter, boats, and space for an armed boarding team can do the job.
There is more information on the Montcristo attack here including information that the crew may have been steering the ship toward assistance from inside the citadel.
Armed Security Teams: There is more evidence of the acceptance of private armed security teams. A Japanese Company is hiring private security, while the Japanese government considers placing military teams on Japanese flag ships, and Italy is forming ten teams of six soldiers each to guard Italian Flag ships.
Gulf of Guinea: Here the motivation and methods appear to be different, but the area is becoming increasingly dangerous. 19 attacks have resulted in eight tankers have been hijacked in 2011 compared with none in 2010. The attacks below reflect only the last two weeks. From the Office of Naval Intelligence’s Piracy website:
1. NIGERIA: Vessel (JOAN CHOUEST) attacked by pirates on 17 October near the offshore Oso oilfield, near Bonny. (Open Source)
2. NIGERIA: Offshore tug/supply vessel (WILBERT TIDE) boarded by pirates on 17 October while underway near the offshore Oso oilfield, near Bonny. The Bangladeshi master was kidnapped as 20 armed men from two speedboats boarded the vessel. (Open Source)
3. NIGERIA: Product Tanker (CAPE BIRD) was hijacked by pirates on 8 October approximately 90 nm south of Lagos, Nigeria, and was released on 13 October. No further information on whether a ransom was paid or the cargo of oil was stolen. (Open Source)
There is some indication of how piracy can work in an area where there is still a viable national government.
Ghana has ordered two 46 meter patrol boats from China (very similar in size to the Fast Response Cutter) in an effort to beef up their anti-piracy forces.
Two items today, recall the dark side of being a Coastie:
Navy Times reports that Commander Coast Guard District 17 charged, Lt. Lance Leone, the co-pilot and lone survivor of the crash of an MH-60 Jayhawk off La Push, WA, July 7, 2010, with negligent homicide, dereliction of duty, and destruction of government property on Sept. 30. “An Article 32 hearing to determine whether Leone will be court-martialed is scheduled for early December…Witnesses told local media at the time that the helicopter was flying at a low altitude and crashed into the Pacific after clipping power lines…The crew was flying the helicopter home to Sitka, Alaska, after it finished a maintenance and upgrade period in Astoria, Ore.” (Because Leone was co-pilot, and presumably not pilot-in-command, I’m curious why these charges were filed.)
The Coast Guard Compass remembers the sinking of the Cutter Cuyahoga, 33 years ago today with the recollections of Cmdr. Gordon Thomas IV (ret) who survived the collision as an officer candidate.
As we noted earlier the Canadians are embarking on a major ship building program. A lot is riding on the choice of two shipyards that will be responsible for virtually all the work.
Most interesting for Coast Guard readers is that they will be building a large icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard and six to eight “Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships” which can operate in the North West Passage in the Summer months in addition to serving as conventional offshore patrol vessels based on the Norwegian Coast Guard ship Svalbard (These ships are going to the Navy). Background here, here, and here.
The selection has been made and the Irving Shipyard in Halifax, NS, will get the contract for 15 combat vessels and the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships, worth a total of about C$25B. Seaspan Shipyard, in Vancouver, BC, will build non-combat vessels, valued at approximately C$8B, including those for the Coast Guard as well as oceanographic and fisheries research vessels.
(A note of thanks to Ken White for keeping me up to date on this and providing the illustrations below.)
There has been a recent demonstration of a new harbor surveillance system that claims to pick up both surface and subsurface targets using fiber-optics. This has possible implications both for the Coast Guard’s own Maritime Domain Awareness program and for the Navy’s Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare (MIUW) units that the Coast Guard frequently works with.
Wonder if it might also work as a tripwire to detect North bound drug subs?
The Philippines is looking at acquiring a second 378 and apparently expects to receive a third in 2013. They are also talking about fitting some of their ships with missiles, although the type is still not clear.
110727-N-WP746-089 Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (July 27, 2011) – The Philippine Navy’s newest ship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15), arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during a scheduled port visit. The ship, a former U.S. Coast Guard cutter, is on its maiden voyage to the Republic of the Philippines to join the Philippine Navy Fleet. As a multi-mission surface combatant ship, Gregorio del Pilar becomes the first gas-turbine jet engine-powered vessel in the Philippine Navy fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Mark Logico/Released)
“The third Hamilton-class cutter is projected to be acquired by the Philippine Navy in 2013.
“Pama (Vice Adm. Alexander Pama, Navy Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC)) also revealed that they are now preparing to acquire some missile technology. The Philippine military is the only one in Southeast Asia that still does not have missiles. “It’s in the drawing board. I can’t say when but if things turn out as planned, it will be more sooner than later,” he told ABS-CBN News.
“Despite recent irritants over the Spratly Island dispute, Pama said he was convinced that competing countries were committed to a peaceful resolution of their overlapping claims. “I wouldn’t say it’s getting more dangerous; there are just issues and challenges confronting everybody. I can say the neighborhood has states that are responsible enough. No nation, at least within ASEAN, is out there to make trouble.”
Perhaps significantly china is not a member of ASEAN.
There is growing realization in Congress that something needs to be done to provide additional presence in the American Arctic. Unfortunately this realization coincides with strong pressure to cut spending and the need to begin replacing the entire Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) fleet with the Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC).
The Navy Times reports (“CG must balance cuts with Arctic Mission”) while there is increasing presure to bring a second icebreaker on line, “The Senate’s Coast Guard authorization bill, S 1665, requires the service to operate at least two heavy polar icebreakers at any one times..” and the Coast Guard recognizes a need for more capability, ” The Coast Guard estimates it will need at least three heavy and three medium icebreakers to meet minimum mission requirements as the polar ice cap melts.” There is also a belief that, “…we also have to respond to demand from the administration and the public to cut spending.”
Apparently in response to budget uncertainties, and in an effort to bolster the Coast Guard’s support, on Oct 12 the Coast Guard briefed the media on recapitalization efforts. MarineLink.com reports, “The briefing…revealed little in terms of new developments but at the same time, underscored the increasing concerns amongst Coast Guard senior leaders that budget woes may soon force a scaling back of one or more aspects of their ambitious, multi-billion dollar recapitalization plans.”
“He (Adm. Papp) conceded that this might involve reducing operational capabilities of these new hulls if the funding wasn’t there…the availability of funding may eventually force DHS to sacrifice requirements by changing the fleet mix, sacrificing operational capabilities, or both.”
Reporting on apparently the same meeting fiercehomelandsecurity.com said, “The Coast Guard is looking for ways to reduce the cost of its Offshore Patrol Cutter procurement, even considering the possibility of trading OPCs for increased capability elsewhere, Coast Guard officials said during an Oct. 12 press availability.”
“The service already has taken steps to contain OPC cost, Atkins said (Rear Adm. Vincent Atkins, assistant commandant for capability). Apart from the hull specification, ‘everything else is on the table,’ he said.”
“For example, OPCs will not have a stern ramp for launching small boats. ‘It would have added a lot of length to the ship that would otherwise be used for something else and make it larger and more expensive,’ Atkins said.”
Adm. Papp estimates that the Coast Guard actually needs $2.5B annually in Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements funding, but it appears the FY 2012 appropriations will be about $1.4B.
Related:
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 