I see most Coast Guard new releases, but this one caught my eye, because of the use of links within the release. News papers are not the only users of these releases. When used by on-line news sources this is a real plus. It allows the readers to see what the USS  Shamal, an H-65, or a response boat, medium looks like. It highlighted the use of an EPIRB and made it easy to find out what one is.

Adding hyper-links takes more time, but it adds value. Well done, D-7 PA Detachment, Jacksonville.

CARIBBEAN SEA, 09.04.2019, Courtesy Photo U.S. Coast Guard District 7 PADET Jacksonville

The Coast Guard Cutter James conducts Hurricane Dorian relief operations alongside the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark in the Caribbean Sea, Sept. 6, 2019. During their 62-day counter-drug patrol, the James’ crew, along with members from Tactical Law Enforcement Team-South, Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Cryptologic Direct Support Element and multiple partner agencies, contributed to the interdiction of 7 drug-smuggling vessels and were responsible for the seizure of more than 12,677 pounds of cocaine and 4,085 pounds of marijuana bound for the United States. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter James)

The US Naval Institute News Service reports that the FY2021 budget request for the Coast Guard includes requests for the second Polar Security Cutter and the third OPC along with long lead time items for the fourth, but does not include funds for additional FRC construction. Not mentioned, but that certainly also means no request for NSC #12.

62 FRCs have been funded through FY2020 and only 64 have been planned, so why not just request the last two? Stopping and then restarting production for two vessels in a future year would be wasteful and really stupid. This seems to be a game played every year. The administration asks for four and Congress funds six. Ask for two and Congress funds four. Guess this year, it may be, ask for none and Congress funds two or perhaps four. We have to wait and see.

NSC #12 is a child of Congress. The administration never asked for it, but Congress has already allocated over $100M for it. This year is decision time. Will it happen? Please pass the popcorn.

The Royal Navy is looking at how they might increase the lethality of their new River Class Batch II Offshore Patrol Vessels. Save the Royal Navy looks at how they might be upgraded. “Save the Royal Navy” describes itself as “an online campaign but not an organisation as such,” so not an official voice of the Royal Navy.

Royal Navy’s new patrol vessel HMS Tamar is ready for action and will be based in Portsmouth. (Picture source: Royal Navy)

These are effectively the UK’s WMECs. They do fisheries, SAR, and drug enforcement, but they are looking to use them for a bit more. They have the three River class Batch I OPVs to do fisheries around the home turf, so they plan to use most of these in the overseas territories or providing presence in distant theaters of operation. One is currently deployed to the South Atlantic operating out of the Falklands and a second is tasked with operations upholding UK interests in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Western North Atlantic. It is likely one will go to Gibraltar and another to the SW Asia/Persian Gulf/Indian Ocean Area.

Compared to our own WMECs, the River Class Batch IIs are bigger and faster than the Bear class.

• 2000 tons vs 1800 tons
• 297′ (90.5 meters) vs 270′
• 24 knots vs 19.5 knots

But they are equipped more like a 210. They have no helicopter hangar and only a single 30mm gun in an optionally manned remote weapon station while the Bear class has a 76mm gun and radar fire control system and they have nothing like the Bear class’s SLQ-32 and decoy systems.

“Save the Royal Navy” considers upgrade packages that were labeled, in order of increasing complexity, “OPV Plus”, “OPV Max”, and “Corvette”.

“OPV Plus” includes a container based rotary wing UAS like the Schiebel Camcopter S100, two 30mm guns, a BAE Bofors 40mm/70 Mk4 with a possible fire control upgrades, and Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD).

“OPV Max” includes a collapsible hanger for an Agusta/Westland AW-159 Wildcat helicopter, two 30mm guns, added Martlet LMM (Light Multirole Missile) to the 30mm mounts, and a BAE Bofors 57mm Mk110 and associated fire control system, but for some reason lost the LRAD.

“Corvette” traded the hangar for Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCM) and exchanged a RHIB for an armed Unmanned Surface Vessel. In addition to two 30mm guns with LMM Martlet missiles, and a BAE Bofors 57mm Mk110 and associated fire control system, it also adds an enlarged operations room (CIC), decoy launchers, and a multirole Artisan 3D radar.

Royal Thai Navy’s second offshore patrol vessel based on the River class, HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (OPV 552) constructed by Bangkok Dock Ltd and poised for induction into service. Note RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles fitted. Photo: http://thaidefense-news.blogspot.com/2019/07/blog-post_31.html

Littoral combat ship Little Rock (LCS 9) is underway during a high-speed run in Lake Michigan during acceptance trials. Lockheed Martin Photo

For the last several years, it has seemed that the Navy had all but abandoned the drug interdiction effort, and actual US Navy ships in the Fourth Fleet Area of Operations (Latin America) were very rare. That seems to be changing.

USS Detroit (LCS-7) deployed on Oct. 31, 2019 and returned to Mayport for a crew swap on Feb. 2, 2020. She had operated with a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment and an aviation detachment including a MH-60S Seahawk helicopter and two MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Vehicles. She is expected to redeploy to Fourth Fleet after the crew swap and a short maintenance period.

USS Little Rock (LCS-9) departed Mayport, FL, on Feb. 6, for operations with Fourth Fleet. Sounds like Little Rock, unlike Detroit, may try to do a crew swap away from homeport.

“Little Rock will also demonstrate its operational capabilities and allow the Navy to evaluate crew rotation and maintenance plans. While in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions, the ship will rotate deployments of two crews, Blue and Gold, who will rotate aboard every four to five months, maintaining consistency and allowing a continuous presence in the region.”

As a side note, the USS Little Rock is equipped with Laser weapon. Military and naval officers from friendly nations ought to find that interesting.

SOUTHCOM Commander Adm. Craig Faller is hoping to do more than just drug enforcement. He hopes to counter Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America. He also plans to exercise small scale Marine operations with these ships, in cooperation with the militaries of friendly nations.

There are some other interesting developments.

“…SOUTHCOM is in line for an Expeditionary Staging Base, the converted commercial tanker design that acts as a lily pad for mine-counter measures and special operations forces in U.S. Central Command. The command also is currently operating a Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), which it is also using for presence, partner-building and counter-trafficking work. SOUTHCOM also claimed successes with the deployment of the Military Sealift Command ship M/V Kellie Chouest. The support ship deployed with a military detachment aboard and an unmanned aerial vehicle to provide additional capacity, to supplement the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters for the interdiction mission….SOUTHCOM is pitching a plan to turn a Spearhead EPF into an LCS tender to keep the ships on station longer rather than going back to shore regularly for maintenance.”

Technical drawing of the Mizuho-class patrol vessel (Credit : Japan Coast Guard)

Naval News reports the delivery of a second new very large cutter to the Japan Coast Guard.

We talked about these ships earlier. “Japan builds more XXLarge CG Cutters.” The odd thing about these ships is that they are essentially repeats of the Shikishima-class (first ship, Shikishima (PLH-31) commissioned 1992, second ship, Akitsushima  (PLH-32) commissioned 2013). The Shikishima class were in turn near repeats of the Mizuho class (first ship, Mizuho, now renamed Fusō (PLH-21), commissioned 1986, second, Yashima (PLH-22) commissioned 1988). The Reimei patrol vessel (PLH-33), referred to in the report is apparently the third member of the Shikishima class and was launched in March 2019. The two new ships are a new Mizuho (PLH-41) and Shunkō (PLH-42). Looks like they may have seven of these very large cutter, unless the new ships replace PLH-21 and 22. That is a good possibility as the Japanese replace their cutters much more rapidly than the USCG. When I last checked, they had not cutters more than 35 years old. 

Don’t let the reported displacement of 6,000 tons or 6,500 tons fool you. Asians tend to report light or empty displacement. Full load displacement is 9,300 tons, more than twice as large as the Bertholf class National Security Cutters.

There is some reported differences between the classes. The original Mizuhos were reported to be 130 meters in length, the Shikishimas, 150 meters, the new Mizuhos 140 meters. There are also differences in how they are armed. The newest ships introduce the BAE Bofors 40mm/70 Mk4.

The most interesting paragraph in the report was in regard to the rapid growth of the Japan Coast Guard.

In 2012, the JCG had 51 patrol vessels displacing more than 1,000 tons. The service has now 63 large vessels, and the goal is to operate 12 more ships by the end of FY 2023 to deal with new threats.

By comparison, the US Coast Guard, which patrols an EEZ more than two and a half times as large has only 39 patrol cutters larger than 1,000 tons and we plan to have only 36 (11 NSCs and 25 OPCs).

Coastal-steamer-sized, retractable Wavefoil installation. Credit Wavefoil

Marine Link reports on an innovation that promises a better ride, fuel savings, and lower emissions.

If it works nearly as well as reported, its worth a look.