Cutters Joseph Gerczak and Juniper refuel in Papeete, Tahiti, while underway during Operation Aiga, February 6, 2022. The two cutters were in the region combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and other maritime threats on the high seas throughout the Pacific. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the USCGC Juniper)(cropped)

Marine Link has an interesting article that recounts the methods that allow the 154 foot Webber “Sentinel” class WPCs “Fast Response Cutters, FRCs”with a nominal endurance of only five days and a range of 2500 nautical miles at 14 knots to deploy well beyond that distance.

Issues that must be dealt with other than limited storage and fuel include lack of an independent duty corpsman and carbon build-up in the engines due to operating at lower than design RPM.

When we go to Tahiti or American Samoa, there’s nothing in between. We’ll usually travel with a ‘black hull’ buoy tender in case we need to take on fuel at sea. But we have to be very careful with our fuel, and how we run our engines, and balance the need to have enough provisions for the trip and arrive safety with at least 20 percent fuel on board with the need to get down there so we can get to work.”

Sea State can also make it difficult to do a Replenishment at Sea (RAS).

The article does not reflect the current number of FRCs planned–77 rather than the 64 indicated in the article. It appears likely that the number of FRCs in Guam will increase from three to six and that additional FRCs (probably three) will be based in American Samoa.)

The article talks about future OPCs allowing National Security Cutters to spend more time in the Western Pacific but makes no mention of USCGC Harriet Lane, currently based in Oahu, or other WMECs that might be based in the Pacific in the Future.

“…in the absence of the perfect asset, the FRCs are the right asset for the job right now. “We’re making it work.”