Category Archives: Operations

Getting Outflanked along the California Coast

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FierceHomelandSecurity is reporting the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection are admitting that Pangas smuggling north from Mexico are going around existing patrols. Shouldn’t surprise anyone, there is a lot of money in it. In addition to drugs they could be  smuggling terrorist just as easily.

Perhaps we need a few of those Webber Class WPCs in the Pacific. Reportedly the administration is taking another look at border security. Its time to make our case that the water side is way too porous.

Port Security Barriers

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Prompted by a recent incident in the waters off Gibraltar, between Royal Navy and police on one side and the Spanish Guardia Civil on the other, ThinkDefence has posted advertising and videos of a number of barrier systems. I’ve seen one of these deployed around aircraft carriers in San Diego.  All are claimed to be effective against at least small boats, some against swimmers or larger vessels. Much of the interest in these systems goes back to attack on the USS Cole in Yeman.

“Boat Lift” in the Med

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Defensenews reports the Italian Coast Guard seems to be contending with their own version of a “boat lift” as refugees from the chaotic and poverty ridden areas of Africa and the Middle East attempt to make it to more prosperous areas.

Typical Migrant Interdiction Operation (MIO)–unsavory operators, overloaded unseaworthy vessels equal mass drownings.

Drug Sub Builder Held

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Slate.com is reporting the man behind the building of three true submarines intended for smuggling drugs is facing trial, and many of those who worked with him have either been tried or taken plea bargains.

If you want a refresher on the result of his efforts, there is pretty good info on one of the submarines that he produced here.

We have talked about these before and their implications for the Coast Guard. Related:

Helping Build and Maintain Narco-subs

New Type Narco Sub–a “Snot Boat?”

Narco Sub Photos and Video re Evolution of Semi-Submersibles

A True Narco Submarine–Counter Measures?

MDA–Offshore Persistent Monitoring

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Think defense reports on some new technology the Coast Guard is already involved in, that might become useful for Maritime Domain Awareness. The Navy has also been interested in this since it could clearly support acoustic as well as radar and electro-optic sensors. A capability to deploy a portable version of this, around critical areas during wartime, might be a future wartime mission for our buoy tenders.

DARPA program to develop long-range UAVs for launch from small ships

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Military Aerospace and Electronics is reporting a contract, “…to develop a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV for long-term maritime surveillance that can launch and recover from relatively small ships to provide airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike mobile targets anywhere, around the clock…The ultimate goal for a TERN UAV and launch system to enable persistent ISR and strike capabilities with payloads of 600 pounds while operating at ranges as long as 900 nautical miles from a host vessel.”

These would apparently be fixed wing UAVs , with two aircraft being able to maintain a 24 hour a day orbit. A flight demonstration is expected in 2017.

Note the small ships they refer to are only small compared to aircraft carriers, “The TERN system should be able to operate from several relatively small ship types in rough seas, including the 2,784-ton Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), which is 418 feet long and 104 feet wide, with a large aft-located flight deck. Other ships of interest are amphibious transport docks, dock landing ships, and Military Sealift Command cargo ships.”

They might still be capable of operating from some of the Coast Guard’s largest ships.

Indian Coast Guard Continues Upgrades–Vessels and Maritime Domain Awarness

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The Times of India reports the Indian Coast Guard is both continuing expansion of its chain of radar stations used to maintain Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and building new patrol vessels at a relatively high rate.

The central government has approved the setting up of 38 radar stations across the country in the second phase under Coastal Surveillance Network, said defence secretary R K Mathur, adding that the first phase of the network comprising 46 radar stations was expected to be completed by October.

India’s EEZ is less than a fifth that of the US, but since the terrorist attack on Mumbai, 26 November, 2008, which came by sea, they have been working steadily on upgrading the quality and size of their Coast Guard.

Related:

DOD Talks Command Structure Changes

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Defense News is reporting DOD is apparently discussing changes to its COCOM structure. One possible change is combining NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM into a single AOR.

Since the current boundary bisects maritime smuggling routes, this change might be helpful in easing coordination of counter drug patrols and might make it easier for the resulting organization to consider alternative strategies regarding where to commit assets.

“Combining Northern and Southern commands could lead to greater resources for activities in South and Central America, which experts say has long been DoD’s most neglected region.

“Combining the regions could better address cross border issues — particularly drug trafficking — between Mexico, South America and the United States, said Bob Killebrew, a retired Army colonel and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

“Mexico is part of Northern Command, which also includes the contiguous United States, Alaska and Canada.

“[I]t makes … sense not to have a kind of artificial DoD boundary, not only between Mexico and Central America, but between Mexico and the American border as well,” Killebrew said.”

Eliminating or reshaping AFRICOM is also being considered.

Heavy Weather

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Just thought I would post this as reminder to some who may have forgotten, what heavy weather looks like. Beside it is pretty. The ship is Latouche-Treville of the French Navy, D646, 4580 tons full load, a ship essentially the same size as a Bertholf class and significantly larger than a 378 or the planned OPC.