Category Archives: PATFORSWA

PATFORSWA’s USCGC Glen Harris, 2 Busts, May 8 and May 10, Heroin and Meth

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Below are a pair of news releases from NAVCENT.

NEWS | May 10, 2023

U.S. Seizes $80 Million Heroin Shipment in Gulf of Oman

By U.S. Naval Central Forces Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain   –  A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized $80 million worth of heroin from a fishing vessel transiting the Gulf of Oman, May 10, during the ship’s second drug bust this week.

USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) was operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 when a boarding team discovered 1,964 kilograms of heroin on a vessel transiting international waters after departing Chah Bahar, Iran. Glen Harris also seized $30 million worth of methamphetamine and heroin two days ago from another fishing vessel that departed the same port.

“I’m very proud of my crew and all we’ve been able to accomplish as a team this week,” said Lt. Nick Jabs, Glen Harris’s commanding officer. “We’re out here to work with regional partners and disrupt any destabilizing maritime activity at sea. We will continue getting after it.”

Glen Harris’s previous seizure on May 8 included 580 kilograms of methamphetamine and 35 kilograms of heroin.

The ship arrived in the Middle East last year as part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard cutters that are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia.

CTF 150 is one of four task forces that form the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, Combined Maritime Forces. Naval forces supporting CTF 150 have now seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated U.S. street value of more than $250 million in 2023. These efforts help ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region free from non-state threats.

NEWS | May 8, 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Seizes $30 Million in Drugs with International Task Force

By U.S. Naval Central Forces Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain   –  A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized more than $30 million of heroin and methamphetamine from a fishing vessel transiting the Gulf of Oman, May 8.

Operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) seized 580 kilograms of methamphetamine and 35 kilograms of heroin from a vessel transiting international waters after departing Chah Bahar, Iran.

CTF 150 is one of four task forces that form the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, Combined Maritime Forces. Naval forces supporting CTF 150 have seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated U.S. street value of nearly $200 million in 2023.

Glen Harris arrived in the Middle East last year and operates from the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain where CMF is headquartered with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet.

The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East.

“The dedication and expertise of Glen Harris’s leadership and crew embody our commitment to interdict and remove illicit narcotics from the sea, denying malign actors the ability to destabilize the region,” said Capt. Eric A. Helgen, PATFORSWA’s commander. “I could not be more proud of our fast response cutter crews.”

Currently led by the United Kingdom, CTF 150 conducts maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations and their related illicit activities, including the movement of personnel, weapons, narcotics and charcoal. These efforts help ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region free from non-state threats.

U.S. and international naval units in the Middle East seized illegal drugs totaling $1 billion in value from 2021 to 2022.

“Unmanned Surface Vessel Transits Strait of Hormuz with U.S. Coast Guard” –NAVCENT

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A U.S. Navy L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 drone boat and the U.S. Coast Guard cutters USCGC John Scheuerman and USCGC Charles Moulthrope transit the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (Information Systems Technician 1st Class Vincent Aguirre/U.S. Coast Guard)

Below is a NAVCENT news release. It is quite apparent that the PATFORSWA Webber class WPCs have become the go-to resource for operation with the US Navy’s Task Force 59 unmanned surface vessels. Will we see something similar emerge when UAS start operating under 4th Fleet in the near future?

Unmanned Surface Vessel Transits Strait of Hormuz with U.S. Coast Guard

19 April 2023

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain – An unmanned surface vessel from U.S. 5th Fleet transited the Strait of Hormuz with two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, April 19, demonstrating the continued operational integration of unmanned and artificial intelligence systems by U.S. maritime forces in the Middle East.

A U.S. Navy L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 drone boat and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC John Scheuerman transit the Strait of Hormuz on April 19, 2023. (Information Systems Technician 1st Class Vincent Aguirre/U.S. Coast Guard)

USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) and USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) transited one of the world’s most strategically important straits with an L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel. The three vessels sailed south from the Arabian Gulf and through the narrow Strait of Hormuz before entering the Gulf of Oman.

“I am proud to be a part of this great partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy in the Middle East. We often work side-by-side as one team with a common mission to provide security and safeguard the seas,” said Lt. Trent Moon, John Scheuerman’s commanding officer.

U.S. 5th Fleet established a unit called Task Force 59 in September 2021 to integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into regional maritime operations. Since its launch, the task force has deployed a suite of new unmanned systems from operational hubs in Jordan and Bahrain.

In December, Task Force 59 launched an Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle from USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) while operating in the Arabian Gulf. The launch marked Task Force 59’s first from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel at the time.

“We are on the cutting-edge of integrating advanced unmanned technology into our maritime patrols. Our crews are excited to help lead these efforts with our Navy counterparts,” said Lt. Stephen Hills, Charles Moulthrope’s commanding officer.

U.S. 5th Fleet is leading regional efforts to increase vigilance in surrounding waters that include more than 5,000 miles of coastline from the Suez Canal, around the Arabian Peninsula, through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf. The integration of unmanned platforms and sensors alongside crewed ships from the United States and regional partners enhances this capability.

The two Coast Guard cutters and Arabian Fox transited the Strait of Hormuz while operating in support of the International Maritime Security Construct, an 11-nation coalition led by the United States that focuses on maritime operations near key waterways in the Middle East.

U.S. Navy Decommissions Last Patrol Craft Stationed in Bahrain –NAVCENT

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DAHLGREN, Va. (Nov. 6, 2004) Coast Guard Cutter Shamal (WPC-13) patrols the Potomac River near the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, VA. On Sept. 29, 2004, USS SHAMAL was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in Little Creek, VA and placed in Commission Special status. After a two-month dockside availability at Integrated Support Command Portsmouth, SHAMAL will make itstransit to her new homeport of Pascagoula, MS., where it will be officially commissioned on December 6, 2004. SHAMAL’s planned major missions will be alien migrant and drug interdiction operations within the D7 and D8 AORs. MS. USCG photo by Joseph P. Cirone,USCGAUX

Below is a NAVCENT news release. More a Navy story than a Coast Guard one, but a class of ships the Coast Guard not only worked closely with, but also operated. Their departure puts an even greater load on the six Patrol Forces SW Asia Webber class cutters.

U.S. Navy Decommissions Last Patrol Craft Stationed in Bahrain

By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | March 28, 2023

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MANAMA, Bahrain (March 28, 2023) U.S. 5th Fleet leaders and Sailors salute during the U.S. national anthem at a decommissioning ceremony in Bahrain for USS Chinook (PC 9), March 28, 2023. The event marked the end of the patrol craft’s 28 years of U.S. naval service. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Vernier)

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MANAMA, Bahrain (March 28, 2023) Lt. Cmdr. David Hartmann, commanding officer of USS Chinook (PC 9), delivers remarks at a decommissioning ceremony in Bahrain for both Chinook and USS Monsoon (PC 4), March 28, 2023. The event marked the end of nearly three decades of U.S. naval service for the patrol craft. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Vernier)

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MANAMA, Bahrain (March 28, 2023) Lt. Cmdr. Dre Johnson, commanding officer for USS Monsoon (PC 4), delivers remarks at a decommissioning ceremony in Bahrain for both Monsoon and USS Chinook (PC 9), March 28, 2023. The event marked the end of nearly three decades of U.S. naval service for the patrol craft. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Vernier)

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MANAMA, Bahrain (March 28, 2023) Capt. Anthony Webber, commander of U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55, delivers remarks at a decommissioning ceremony in Bahrain for both USS Monsoon (PC 4) and USS Chinook (PC 9), March 28, 2023. The event marked the end of nearly three decades of U.S. naval service for the patrol craft. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Vernier)

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MANAMA, Bahrain (March 28, 2023) Sailors man the rails aboard patrol coastal ship USS Chinook (PC 9) during a decommissioning ceremony in Bahrain, March 28, 2023. The event marked the end of the patrol craft’s 28 years of U.S. naval service. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Vernier)

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MANAMA, Bahrain —

The U.S. Navy decommissioned the last two Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships stationed at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, March 28, during a pierside ceremony attended by U.S. 5th Fleet officials.

Leaders and crewmembers of USS Monsoon (PC 4) and USS Chinook (PC 9) marked the end of nearly three decades of U.S. naval service.

“I’m honored to be a part of the legacy on this waterfront,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dre Johnson, during the ceremony. “PC Sailors are a unique bunch, and only they can understand the amount of work they’ve done and the pride they have in what they’ve accomplished.”

Johnson is Monsoon’s last commanding officer. The U.S. Navy initially commissioned the ship in 1994 and then recommissioned it in 2008 after Monsoon served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. Chinook was commissioned in 1995.

“With 28 years of crew covering multiple generations, each one was dedicated to the mission, adapting to rapidly changing mission sets, and working together as a team to accomplish whatever obstacle that came their way,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Hartmann, Chinook’s commanding officer.

Monsoon and Chinook are the last of a group of 10 ships designed for shallow-water operations that were stationed in Bahrain. The Middle East region includes 5,000 miles of coastline from the northern Arabian Gulf, around the Arabian Peninsula, through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Last year, the U.S. Navy decommissioned and transferred five patrol craft to the Royal Bahrain Naval Force: former ships USS Tempest (PC 2), USS Typhoon (PC 5), USS Squall (PC 7), USS Firebolt (PC 10) and USS Whirlwind (PC 11). Additionally, the U.S. Navy decommissioned and transferred former ships USS Hurricane (PC 3), USS Sirocco (PC 6) and USS Thunderbolt (PC 12) to the Egyptian Navy last week during a formal ceremony in Alexandria, Egypt.

Monsoon and Chinook are slated for transfer to the Philippine Navy. Officials from the Philippines attended the ceremony.

“I’m proud of our crews for reaching this milestone and representing our nation and Navy with utmost pride and professionalism,” said Capt. Anthony Webber, commander of Task Force 55, which oversees operations for U.S. 5th Fleet’s surface forces. “I’m also proud that we are turning over great ships to our Philippine partners.”

Bahrain, Egypt and the Philippines are members of the largest multinational naval partnership in the world called Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). Led by the United States, forces from the organization’s 38 nations operate across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international water space in the Middle East. The partnership ensures maritime security and stability in some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Coast Guard in the Iraq War

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USCGC Adak Persian Gulf

MyCG has two posts about the Iraq war and the Coast Guard’s part in it.

Thought it odd we would have two so closely related posts, by the same author. Actually, the first was done some time ago but internet access was lost when the Coast Guard changed servers.

Both are now linked on my Heritage page.

“Video: Interview With VADM Cooper On TF 59 Milestones, US 5th Fleet” –Naval News

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Naval News provides a video of an interview with 5th Fleet/NAVCENT commander VAdm Charles Bradford (Brad) Cooper II. In addition to the video above, the Naval News post provides a transcript of the interview (always appreciated).

The video provides more than talking heads. There are snippets of video showing the operation of unmanned systems and the people mentioned.

PATFORSWA Webber class cutters show up in the video three times.

Task Force 59 is an exciting development. It appears likely this model will be replicated in other areas including with the 4th Fleet in the Drug Transit Zone. Hopefully the Coast Guard is taking the opportunity to learn as much as possible from these operations. If the Coast Guard does not have a Coast Guard R&D liaison to Task Force 59 we are missing a good bet.

221207-N-NO146-1001 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 7, 2022) An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) takes off from U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) transiting the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 7. U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 launched the UAV during Digital Horizon, a three-week event focused on integrating new unmanned and artificial intelligence platforms, including 10 that are in the region for the first time. (U.S. Navy photo)

Related:

USCGC Emlen Tunnell Seizes Illegal Drugs In Gulf Of Oman

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230130-N-NO146-1001 GULF OF OMAN (Jan. 30, 2023) Illicit drugs interdicted by USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) sit on the deck of a fishing vessel for inventory as the U.S. Coast Guard cutter sails in the Gulf of Oman, Jan. 30. (U.S. Coast Guard photo) (Photo by U.S. Coast Guard)

Below is a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command news release. More information on Combined Maritime Forces, Task Force 150, Coast Guard PATFORSWA interdiction efforts, and why I think it is a great model for other areas here.

U.S., International Forces Seize Illegal Drugs in Gulf of Oman, By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | January 31, 2023

MANAMA, Bahrain —

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel seized illegal drugs worth a total estimated U.S. street value of $33 million from a fishing vessel transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman, Jan. 30.

U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) was patrolling regional waters in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 when it seized 4,000 kilograms of hashish and 512 kilograms of methamphetamine from the smuggling vessel.

Currently led by the United Kingdom Royal Navy, CTF 150 is one of four task forces organized under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). This was the first drug seizure in 2023 for CMF.

“This is just the beginning of our work in delivering maritime security operations in the region to stop illicit activities and drug smuggling,” said UK Royal Navy Capt. James Byron, the CTF 150 commander. “This comes as a result of a valued partnership between CTF 150 and all partner nations in Combined Maritime Forces.”

Byron assumed command of the multinational task force Jan. 18 after Royal Saudi Navy Rear Adm. Abdullah Al-Mutairi led the unit for six months.

Under Al-Mutairi’s leadership, CTF 150 ships logged more than 10,000 hours on regional patrols and intercepted six shipments of illegal drugs that included opium, heroin, hashish and amphetamines. The combined estimated value of the seized drugs totaled more than $250 million.

Since 2021, CMF has interdicted $1 billion worth of illicit narcotics during maritime patrols. CMF is the largest international naval partnership in the world consisting of 38 member-nations and partners.

“U.S. Navy Intercepts More Than 2,000 Assault Rifles Shipped from Iran”

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Thousands of AK-47 assault rifles sit on the flight deck of guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) during an inventory process, Jan. 7. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. (Photo by U.S. Navy)

Below is a press release from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reporting interdiction of an arms smuggling operation. The initial interception and boarding were done by, soon to be decommissioned, Cyclone class patrol ship USS Chinook. She was supported by another, soon to be decommissioned, Cyclone class USS Monsoon and destroyer USS The Sullivans.

At one time there were ten Cyclone class patrol ships based in Bahrain, along with six Island class patrol boats and for a while some MkVI patrol boats. Apparently, there are still five Cyclone class, based in Bahrain, doing useful work for the USN. Looks like soon, there will only be the six Webber class of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia.

Apparently, 5th Fleet expects the unmanned systems of Task force 59 to perform some of the patrol functions, but I have to wonder if six patrol craft are enough?

MANAMA, Bahrain —

U.S. naval forces intercepted a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Jan. 6, and discovered it smuggling 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles while transiting international waters along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen.

A U.S. Navy boarding team from patrol coastal ship USS Chinook (PC 9) initially discovered and seized the weapons with support from USS Monsoon (PC 4) and guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68). The intercepted vessel, which was sailing on a route historically used to traffic illicit cargo to the Houthis in Yemen, was crewed by six Yemeni nationals.

The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Houthis violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law. The transfer of the vessel and its crew for repatriation is in progress.

“This shipment is part of a continued pattern of destabilizing activity from Iran,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “These threats have our attention. We remain vigilant in detecting any maritime activity that impedes freedom of navigation or compromises regional security.”

In the past two months, U.S. 5th Fleet has also intercepted two other fishing vessels in the Gulf of Oman smuggling lethal aid from Iran to Yemen.

Forces operating from expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) seized more than 50 tons of ammunition rounds, fuses and propellants for rockets, Dec. 1. Weeks earlier on Nov. 8, The Sullivans, USS Hurricane (PC 3) and U.S. Coast Guard ship USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) intercepted more than 70 tons of ammonium perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer commonly used to make rocket and missile fuel, as well as 100 tons of urea fertilizer.

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

“The More ‘Eyes On The Water’, The Better” –Marine News

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221207-N-NO146-1001 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 7, 2022) An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) takes off from U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) transiting the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 7. U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 launched the UAV during Digital Horizon, a three-week event focused on integrating new unmanned and artificial intelligence platforms, including 10 that are in the region for the first time. (U.S. Navy photo)

Marine News has an interesting story that discusses both PATFORSWA’s operations using the recently arrived Webber class WPCs and the recent Digital Horizon 2022 exercise. There is also a bit of a tie in between the two in that at least one WPC was operating as part of Task Force 59, the 5th Fleet element charged with operating unmanned systems. We have heard a bit about the exercise before, but the list of participants in the graphic below seems particularly revealing.

Graphic illustration depicting the unmanned systems that participated in exercise Digital Horizon.

“Task Force 59 Launches Aerial Drone from Coast Guard Ship in Middle East” –NAVCENT

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221207-N-NO146-1001 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 7, 2022) An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) takes off from U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) transiting the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 7. U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 launched the UAV during Digital Horizon, a three-week event focused on integrating new unmanned and artificial intelligence platforms, including 10 that are in the region for the first time. (U.S. Navy photo)

Below is a December 07, 2022, news release by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs.

To me this is really exciting news. The Webber class has been doing some great work at surprising long distances, performing most of the functions of a medium endurance cutter. Their primary weakness as a patrol ship has been the lack of an organic search aircraft. I assume this UAS is operating from the area on the O-1 deck forward of the bridge that had been designated for vertical replenishment.

This from Aerovel, maker of the Flexrotor (follow the link for dimensions and performance),

Boasting a flight endurance of more than 30 hours and a 120-kilometer communications range, this all-weather aircraft has operated in some of the harshest conditions on earth. Flexrotor is excellent for expeditionary missions. Needing only a 20’ by 20’ area for launch and recovery, it takes off and lands vertically and easily transitions into horizontal wing-borne flight. The STUAS flies completely automatically after takeoff, with no pilot intervention needed. Flexrotor quickly assembles for flight and can be boxed and stowed in minutes by a single person.

The Flexrotor is, in most respects, in the same class as the Scan Eagles that are currently being deployed on National Security Cutters. It is not as fast as Scan Eagle but apparently comparable or greater endurance and requires no launch or recovery equipment. These systems may actually constitute an improvement, compared to searches by manned helicopters, because of their much greater endurance and sensors like the VIDAR used on Coast Guard Scan Eagle UAS..

Task Force 59 Launches Aerial Drone from Coast Guard Ship in Middle East

By By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs | December 07, 2022

MANAMA, Bahrain —

A U.S. Navy unmanned task force in the Middle East launched an aerial drone from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel operating the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 7.

U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145), marking a first for the task force with a U.S. Coast Guard vessel since the task force’s establishment in September 2021.

The launch also demonstrated close collaboration between the U.S. Coast Guard and Task Force 59 as U.S. 5th Fleet rapidly integrates unmanned systems and artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring of regional waters.

Task Force 59 is conducting Digital Horizon, a three-week event focused on integrating new unmanned and artificial intelligence platforms, including 10 that are in the region for the first time.

“Each day during Digital Horizon we have pushed to discover new capabilities, fast,” said Capt. Michael Brasseur, commodore of Task Force 59. “I am so proud of the team for their steadfast commitment to not only imagine new possibilities, but to deliver them.”

An Aerovel Flexrotor successfully took off and landed vertically aboard Emlen Tunnell, showcasing close collaboration between Navy, Coast Guard and industry partners to advance technology integration.

“We are so excited to be part of Digital Horizon and play a critical role by helping integrate new technologies into the fleet,” said Lt. Patrick Kelly, Emlen Tunnell’s commanding officer. “I am so proud of the crew for their dedication, commitment and professionalism, which made today’s success possible.”

The Flexrotor can support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions day and night using a daylight or infrared camera to provide a real-time video feed.

In addition to providing ISR capability, UAVs like the Flexrotor enable Task Force 59 to enhance a resilient communications network used by unmanned systems to relay video footage, pictures and other data to command centers ashore and at sea.

U.S. 5th Fleet established Task Force 59 more than 14 months ago. Since its launch, the task force has deployed a suite of new unmanned systems while integrating artificial intelligence at operational hubs in Jordan and Bahrain.

Emlen Tunnell is one of the Coast Guard’s newest Sentinel-class fast response cutters forward-deployed to Bahrain where U.S. 5th Fleet is headquartered. The ship helps ensure maritime security and stability across the Middle East.