Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean is moored at U.S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Florida, June 26, 2026. Cutter Ocean will serve as the first vessel contracted in a new initiative using commercial vessels to transport supplies, equipment and personnel to Coast Guard cutters operating in the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and other maritime areas in the Western Hemisphere. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Reese Hindmarsh)
“The U.S. Coast Guard is turning to the commercial offshore industry to strengthen logistics support for its cutter fleet, awarding a contract to Louisiana-based Bordelon Marine for the Connor Bordelon, a commercial offshore support vessel that will operate under the designation Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean (HSC-Ocean).
“The vessel will transport supplies, equipment, and personnel to Coast Guard cutters operating throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and other maritime areas across the Western Hemisphere as part of the Coast Guard’s new HSC-Ocean initiative.”
I do feel a bit uncomfortable with calling this a cutter. That implies this is a Coast Guard cutter, but operating with a civilian crew it will have none of the law enforcement authorities of a Coast Guard cutter.
Thanks to Patrick for bringing this to my attention,
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Dose that remind you of the USCGC Kukui (WAK-186) that we once had. Maybe we should get an LST while we’re at it
This is incredible. Even the USCG has figured out the logistical support, maintenance (preventative & corrective) equation . . . and the U.S. Navy DELIBERATELY REMAINS on a “River in Egypt”. Just incredible. The USCG is our most efficient/effective service because they have to be. The U.S. Navy wastes so much money DELIBERATELY . . . with National Defense hanging in the wings…and think nothing of it. Such is the nature of our current NAVSEA!
Every time I look at Cutter Ocean I am struck with the location of the helo deck. Most logistics ships have helo decks on the fantail with aux landing sites amidships or forward. All serviced with access ways for ready movement of large and palletized items. That does not exist on this vessel. Something to think about.
I’m still curious as to the roles intended here. Is it going to refuel cutters at sea? Transfer crews? Provide stores? What exactly is the plan. Plus, I’ve never been comfortable with helo decks in this position. It limits its use to just personnel and raises the ship’s center of gravity. I’m hoping this is an interim measure until something else is found.
And yes, I know it says ‘transport supplies, equipment, and personnel to Coast Guard cutters…’ but how?
Chuck Hope you doing well. I hope you read my comments about this article. I said a lot of things.And this was before i was able to finmished going all my emails that I read articles from GCAPTAIN and MARITINE EXECUTIVE that answernearly all my questions. I still have a couple questions left ONE being supplies transfer are going to do it like USN UNREP or small boat transfer in calm waters Plus on FUEL they going to it like US NAVY does with UNREP or they going to refuel from the stern or the ship with hose to the cutter being refuel. SECOND are they going to have a supply cutter for the Pacific area for the USCG Cutters patrolling off the west of South America area. You are right they should not names this supply vessel HSC OCEAN a cutter, they could have left the original name as US NAVY does anddesignated like WAK like the cargo ship USCG used to resupply central/western pacific LORAN stations. I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it when it comes out. THANK YOU Paul
@Paul I missed your comments but would also appreciate links to the articles that answered your questions. I have been traveling the last couple of weeks but am home now, trying to catch up.
I get the impression, these are intended to support Webber class WPCs rather than larger cutters. Don’t expect refueling alongside while underway. Refueling WPCs astern is now relatively common. They might also find a lee and raft up to exchange supplies.
If it is just personnel, probably done by boat from the cutter.
I submitted a similar idea to the Coast Guard’s Idea Scale page last year. The concept was to take proven PSV hulls and convert them to interim medium endurance hulls until the OPC program could come online. Posted it to Havok Journal as well. https://havokjournal.com/national-security/the-u-s-coast-guard-needs-a-lifeboat/
Naming them a ‘cutter’ is meh, could have done like with the old Aerostat program and named it ‘Atlantic Supply’ or something (Like Atlantic Sentry for aerostats) or just kept the commercial name since there is a civ. crew. Going to be likely miserable for the WPB crews who get an extended mule pat instead of proper port calls/patrol breaks.
Plus they are calling it a Homeland Security Cutter?
The WPCs are nominally only capable of 5 days endurance although they have repeatedly demonstrated they can do more.
Maybe short endurance allowed smugglers to find out when cutter would be off station, particularly if they have an informant who would know in advance when the cutter would make a port call.
They can make operations less predictable.
That’s a good point. Also with the legacy MECs might not be enough availability for a traditional mule pat. Aside from the patrol crews still needing to be able to do some basic stuff like clothes washing that hopefully the ‘supply’ boat has facilities for.
The washing/drying machines installed on the first FRCs were very limiting. It was one of those things that limited endurance, but since then they have been replaced with machines that can keep up with the use.
For long term execution of the concept they should build more National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV). Built at the Philly yard on time and on budget, they are going to the State Maritime Academies and USMMA. Build one for the USCGA for a semester/year afloat and one for the USNA. Build 5 CG Mission versions for this logistics/engineering tender role, command and control with the equivalent of the old COMCARIBRON embarked, prisoner holding and transfer, disaster relief. Assign to West Pac, East Pac, Caribbean, Atlantic/Central command, Rotation for yard availability coverage
Build USN versions for their need for Blue Ridge (LCC) class replacements and for their hospital ship replacement.
6 Navy C3 Fleet Command variant
6 Navy Hospital ship variant
6 Navy Tender variant engineering support & logistics support to the Landing Craft Medium program.
5 current, expand program of record to 32 (4 more training, 4 other variants) 27 additional @$350M base = $9B+mods