USCGC Stratton moored in San Diego, California. Photo by BryanGoff
Bloomberg reports indication USCGC Stratton is following USCGC Bertholf’s example, voyaging to the Western Pacific to help allies and provide a counter to Chinese aggressive maritime behavior. Other cutters likely to follow. Looks like this may be the new normal.
Stratton sails tomorrow. Bertholf is still over there. Plus, “The Coast Guard is scheduled to commission its seventh and eighth national security cutters, Kimball and Midgett, in August. Both will be homeported in Honolulu.”
https://seapowermagazine.org/cutter-stratton-heads-to-western-pacific/
Glad we have the NSC’s to address this need. Perhaps their continued use over there will prompt Congress to add a few more from what they already have. From what I have read, other than the initial issues with a new class of ship, they seem to be performing pretty well in the Pacific.