There has been a report that the US will be providing assistance in the form of maritime enforcement assets to some ASEAN nations, notably those in conflict with China.
“On his first visit to Vietnam as America’s top diplomat, Kerry pledged an additional $32.5 million for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to protect their territorial waters and navigational freedom in the South China Sea, where four states have competing claims with China. Included in the new aid is up to $18 million for Vietnam alone that will include five fast patrol-boats for its Coast Guard. With the new contribution, U.S. maritime security assistance to the region will exceed $156 million over the next two years, he said.”
This isn’t really a lot of additional capability when a Webber class cost on the order of $50M. Five vessels totaling $18M, and that will certainly include training, spares, etc. so less than $3.6M each. They could be talking about Response Boat, Mediums. The last contract was $89M for 40, roughly $2.4M each. Add the miscellaneous additional expenses and it might come to to $18M.
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At any rate, it is likely the Coast Guard will be tasked with doing some of the training. It’s also possible the Coast Guard’s Foreign Military Sales effort will be a bit busier.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Looks like I may have to brush up on my Lao, Thai and Vietnam Language skills. The USCG may one day be looking to the Auxiliary for interpreters in Vietnam, Lao and Thai languages. It may seems like the USCG s helping out others build a Maritime security force. This is something the US Navy should be pushing the USCG into, soft core diplomatic power.
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
Why are we buying boats for them, when we can’t even buy boats for our own CG?
Well, we have bought a lot of the RB-Ms. This is State Dept money. On the other hand, I do find the fact that the coast guards of India, China, and Japan all have or will have more ships than the USCG a bit distressing.
Apparently we are boosting aid to the Philippines too: http://www.navytimes.com/article/20131217/NEWS05/312170001/US-boosts-support-Philippines-security-forces
But that is $40M for both the Philippine Coast Guard and for counter-insurgency. $40M is only enough for one HC-144 and since it is split, probably at least half will be going to the Philippine Army, Navy, and/or Air Force. Again it sounds like small patrol boats.
If Vietnam’s naval culture has not improved over the last forty years, it may be wasted effort. See the last time the USCG tried to train them. http://www.aug.edu/~libwrw/Articles/scattor.pdf
Let me get this straight: We’re spending millions of dollars for them and we can’t adequately fund our Coast Guard. Yeah, that makes sense…………………..
Does anyone else feel how thick the irony is here? A former PCF officer during the Vietnam War, having thrown his medals in protest after getting out, joining the leftist political party and rising to SoS, working a deal for us to buy “swift boats” for our former enemy? Wow!
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