Webber Class WPC Homeports

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FRC-graphic

Click on the graphic to enlarge

The Acquisitions Directorate has a story on the commissioning of the 17th Webber class WPC, USCGC Donald Horsley (WPC-1117).

Included in the post was the graphic above, which gives us an indication of where future cutters will be homeported:

  • Ketchikan, AK
  • San Pedro, CA
  • Pascagoula, MS
  • Atlantic Beach, NC
  • Cape May, NJ

One more WPC is expected to go to San Juan, so in about six months we should see a Webber class go to Ketchikan. Certainly its improved sea keeping compared to the 110s will be appreciated.

This is not, I’m sure, a complete list of future homeports, given that we expect 41 more of this class. I’m not privy to the home porting plan or how many will be in each port, but this looks like it will cover at least the next 18 months. It may cover a much longer period if more than one Webber class will be assigned to some of these ports, and that seems likely.

I would note that these homeports look good from a Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security perspective. Ketchikan and the inland passage has a lot of cruise ship traffic. San Pedro is near the huge Los Angeles port complex and the strategic ports of Long Beach and Port Hueneme. Pascagoula based ships potentially protect the ports of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico including the eastern approaches to the Mississippi River port complex and the strategic port of Gulf Port, MS. Atlantic Beach, NC is close to Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras, but it is also close to the strategic ports of Morehead City, Sunny Point, and Wilmington. WPCs in Cape May, NJ could provide protection for Delaware Bay, including the strategic port of Philadelphia.

If any of our readers has access to the homeporting plan, and it is public knowledge, I would appreciate the information.

37 thoughts on “Webber Class WPC Homeports”

    • The dot on the Gulf Coast is Pascagoula, but good point about Honolulu.

      I have also heard some are going to Guam, a very important port, but for the Navy, homeport only for SSNs and a helicopter squadron. Some Marine units are moving there from Okinawa. Also a “strategic port.”

      Reply ↓

    • The Coast Guard does not use the frigate or corvette designation. All Coast Guard vessels 65 feet and larger are referred to as cutters, every thing smaller is a boat. Within the cutter classification we have subclasses. Since the ’60s we have used “High Endurance” (WHEC) and “Medium Endurance” (WMEC) to characterize our largest patrol cutters. More information about designations here: https://chuckhillscgblog.net/2013/08/19/ship-type-designations/

      Reply ↓

      • 378 foot Hamilton class cutters that have been transferred to other navies have generally been referred to as frigates. Huntington Ingalls, makers of the new Bertholf class, refer to them as patrol frigates in their marketing.

  8. Below is a news release quoted fully. “US Coast Guard to base 2 new cutters in Astoria, Oregon” (U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 04/28/2017 04:31 PM EDT)

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday it will homeport two of the service’s new Sentinel-Class 154-foot Fast Response Cutters (FRC) in Astoria, Oregon, starting in 2021. These two ships have not yet been named, but the FRCs are named after enlisted Coast Guard personnel who distinguished themselves in the line of duty.
    Each of the two Astoria-based FRCs will provide the coastal maritime community with a 30 percent increase in annual operating hours on regional waters over the Coast Guard’s legacy 110-foot Island class patrol boats like the Coast Guard Cutter Orcas, homeported in Coos Bay, Oregon.
    The FRC is equipped with improved command and control capability as well as increased sea-keeping abilities, operational range, a larger crew and higher transit speeds than the aging110-foot patrol boats. A larger, more capable stern launch cutter boat allows the FRC to conduct search-and-rescue and interdiction operations up to 50 miles away from the cutter, which greatly extends the vessel’s reach over the Coast Guard’s legacy patrol boat fleet.
    The Orcas will continue to operate from its homeport in Coos Bay until its service is replaced by the first of the Astoria-based FRCs in 2021.
    The Coast Guard is presently examining potential homeport sites within Astoria for the two as-yet-to-be-named FRCs.

    Reply ↓

  11. FRC#23 commissioned. http://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/FRC070517/
    “The Coast Guard is acquiring 58 FRCs; 44 have been ordered. Twenty-three are in service: two in Cape May, New Jersey; six in Miami; six in Key West, Florida; six in San Juan, Puerto Rico; two in Ketchikan, Alaska; and one in Pascagoula. Future FRC homeports include Honolulu; Atlantic Beach, North Carolina; and San Pedro, California.”

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  13. There was also this, “Pier, support facility, shore power modifications, and associated base infrastructure improvements to support the FRC Homeport at Galveston, TX. This homeport will accommodate a total of three FRCs. The funding will support the design and construction of
    homeport facility additions, improvements, and renovations at Galveston, TX.
    from CG-AC&I-79 (page 221 of a 407 page pdf)

    Reply ↓

    • Webber class #24, first of three in Hawaii, gets commissioned. http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2017/11/24th-fast-response-cutter-commissioned-begins-watch-over-hawaiian-islands/

      “The crew then transited more than 8,400 miles (7,300 nautical miles) to Hawaii arriving Sept. 22.
      Ultimately there will be three fast response cutters stationed at Base Honolulu by the spring of 2019. These cutters with their improved effectiveness in search and rescue will make the waters around the main Hawaiian Islands a much safer place for recreational boaters and users of the waterway. They greatly improve our on water presence with each providing over 7,500 operational hours, a 40 percent increase over the existing 110-foot patrol boats.”

      Reply ↓

  22. Military. com reports the Commandant has announced the homeports planned for four more Webber class going to Alaska, “Zukunft says two will be assigned to Kodiak and one each will be home-ported in Sitka and Seward.” In addition, “…Coast Guard also will homeport a coastal patrol boat in Petersburg and Juneau.”

    Thanks to Walter for bringing this to my attention.

    Reply ↓

  23. FRC #29, Forrest Rednour, has been accepted and it will be going to San Pedro, CA. https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/FRC_060718/
    This marks the half way point in completion of the FRC program of record, although it is likely there will be an additional six cutters for replacement of the 110s currently used by PATFOSWA.

    “The Coast Guard has ordered 44 of the 58 FRCs planned. Twenty-seven are in service: 12 in Florida, six in Puerto Rico, two in Alaska, two in New Jersey, two in Mississippi, two in Hawaii and now one in North Carolina. Galveston, Texas is a future FRC homeport.”

    Reply ↓

    • As I get more information, I will post it here. I believe Cape May is as far North as I have seen them homeported on the Atlantic coast.

      I suspect the rationale may be that these ships are used much like MECs where the weather permits. New England weather being more challenging means they are going to continue to require MECs to do local fisheries enforcement.

      We are still only half way through the program. by the time its over we will probably have Webber class just about everywhere we had 110s. My guess is that we will see three in Woods Hole, Mass, and at least two in Portland ME.

      Reply ↓

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