Incat Crowther and Marine Engineering Consultants (MEC) have started work on the construction of a 24m long-range catamaran patrol vessel that will work to protect the Great Barrier Reef, Incat Crowther said Wednesday.
Among its features are solar panels and storage batteries to relieve the generators of some of the housekeeping load and possibly for loiter propulsion.
For quite some time the Coast Guard has been planning on putting helicopter like Unmanned Aerial Systems on their ships. Interest has centered on the Navy’s MQ-8B Firescout. I suspect the hangar designs for the National Security Cutters and Offshore Patrol Cutters were based in part on the size of the MQ-8B.
United States Navy photo with the ID 100514-N-0000X-001, MQ-8B (smaller UAS) undergoing maintenance
Now DefenseNews is reporting the Navy is announcing they will stop production of the 3,150 pound max gross weight “B” model and go to a much larger 6,000 pound max gross weight “C” model based on the Bell 407 Jet Ranger. This aircraft is not only approaches the size of the H-65, it is actually longer.
Bell 407 Jet Ranger, photo from Gerry Metzler, IMG_383
The larger MQ-8C certainly offers advantages over the smaller “B” model, including the ability to maintaining 24/7 surveillance with only three flights a day. The Navy believes they will be able to deploy three on their frigates and two in addition to an H-60 on the LCSs. The NSCs probably have adequate space, but it is unclear if the space provided for in the specifications for the Offshore Patrol Cutters will allow them the emulate the LCSs’ aviation facilities or if they will be able to carry even one of these larger UAS in addition to a manned helicopter.
H_K found an Eastern Shipbuilding advertisement showing there conceptual design for the OPC. You can see it here: http://www.easternshipbuilding.com/wp-content/sdaolpu/2013/06/ESG-OPCFullPageWeb1.pdf
Not a bad looking little ship. Looks like with the location of the stack, the hangar may be offset to port. I don’t like the fact that the 57mm is sitting low relative to the bulwarks of the bow.
As H_K noted this does look a lot like New Zealand’s Protector Class OPVs.
We have a report of the establishment of another Coast Guard. This time it is for Djibouti.
Apparently the USCG and France were also involved, but interestingly this is another example of the Japanese assisting in development of Coast Guards in other countries. They have also promised substantial aid to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The Acquisitions Directorate reports they have placed orders for
Twenty 29 foot Response Boat-Small (RB-S II) from Metal Shark Aluminum Boats of Jeanerette, La., valued at $6.6 million. “This latest delivery order brings the total number of boats on order to 84. To date, 41 RB-S IIs have been delivered to the Coast Guard.”
“Sixteen Cutter Boat-Over the Horizon-IVs (CB-OTH-IV) and associated parts and logistics information from SAFE Boats International LLC of Bremerton, Wash. The cost of the order is $6.55 million.”
“Fourteen of the sixteen cutter boats from this order will be assigned to the FRC fleet (two to be used as spares). Two of the cutter boats will be assigned to the NSC fleet.”
“Under the current contract, up to 101 OTH-IV cutter boats may be ordered over a seven year period. The Coast Guard may order up to 71 boats, and the contract includes up to 10 boats for the U.S. Navy and up to 20 boats for Customs and Border Protection. The contract has a cost ceiling of $58.9 million. “
DefenseMediaNetwork has taken the occasion of the transfer of the former USCGC Jarvis (WHEC-725) to review the progress of the Bangladesh navy (BN). In addition to Jarvis the USCG is expected to transfer another 378 and
“…the USCG has been steadily delivering significant quantities of small craft – primarily 16 Safeboat Defenders and 20 Metal Shark Defiants, with more than 30 such craft delivered to date. Deliveries of Defiants are ongoing under the USCG Security Assistance Program. Most of these craft are used by the naval Special Warfare and Diving and Salvage (SWADS) although a few have gone to the Bangladesh Coast Guard.”
Given what Bangladesh has done with their former British Castle Class OPVs (discussed at the end of the article), we may expect that the former cutters will soon be equipped with Chinese made sensors and weapons including anti-ship cruise missiles.
Coast Guard members stand in formation during the funeral procession of retired Coast Guard Cmdr. Ray Evans at the Mountain View Funeral Home & Memorial Park in Lakewood, Wash., June 5, 2013. More than 350 Coast Guardsmen from local units attended the ceremony to honor the decorated WWII veteran. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Saladino)
I’m reprinting this news release virbatum:
Date: June 06, 2013, CG-09222, Contact: PACS Dan Tremper, Office: (202) 372-4644
LAKEWOOD, Wash. – Retired U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Ray Evans, 92, was laid to rest Wednesday with full military honors.
Evans was the final Coast Guard survivor of a dramatic rescue of a group of Marines pinned down by machine gun fire during the Guadalcanal Campaign, September 1942 where he earned the Navy Cross.
Among those who attended the memorial service was his wife of more than 70 years Dorothy, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and Coast Guard Vice-Commandant Vice Adm. John Currier.
Members of the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor performed a three-volley salute at the funeral signifying the bond Evans and the Marine Corps have shared since the darkest days of World War II.
Evans joined the Coast Guard alongside Medal of Honor recipient Douglas Munro in September 1939.
“(I) Came out of high school and looked for a job all summer in 1939 and it was a very poor time for jobs and went to the Coast Guard and they said they had not taken a recruit in 7 years,” said Evans in an oral history recorded in 1992. “They called me back in September and said, ‘Are you still interested? We’ve got seven openings. I said, ‘yes I am’. And that’s how it started, as an Apprentice Seaman at 21 dollars a month.”
After joint assignments that took Evans and Munro from Washington State to New York City, the two shipmates found themselves aboard the U.S. Army transport ship Hunter Liggett. It was during a trip to India, 250 miles south of Cape Town, South Africa on a quiet December morning in 1941, they heard over the radio that bombs had fallen on Pearl Harbor.
In less than a year Evans and Munro were reassigned as coxswain and crew of a Higgins boats that were responsible for transporting Marines to and from Guadalcanal. In the Second Battle of the Matanikau, part of the Guadalcanal Campaign, after successfully taking Marines from the 1st Battalion 7th Marines 1st Marine Division ashore, the two Coast Guardsmen returned to their previously assigned position. Almost immediately, they learned that conditions ashore were different than had been anticipated and the Marines were surrounded by enemy Japanese forces on the beachhead. It was necessary to evacuate the Marines immediately. Both men volunteered for the job and brought their boats to shore under heavy enemy fire, then proceeded to evacuate the men on the beach.
Evans remained at his post during the entire evacuation. He maintained control of his boat with one hand on the wheel and continued to fire his weapon with the other until the last boat cleared the beach. For his actions, Evans was awarded the Navy Cross.
Evans’ friend would not fare as well. When the majority of the Marines were in the boats, complications arose in evacuating the last men, whom Munro realized would be in the greatest danger. He placed himself and his boats in such a way that they would serve as cover for the last men to leave.
“I saw that Doug was facing forward, and I was standing up by the coxswain looking back, I saw this line of waterspouts coming across the water, and I yelled at Doug to get down,” said Evans during his oral history. “He couldn’t hear me over the engine noise, and it hit him. It was one burst of fire. And that’s how he died. And that’s how it happened.”
Munro remained conscious long enough to say four words: “Did they get off?”
“He said ‘did they get off?’ and that’s about all he said. And then he died. I don’t think he ever heard me answer him. It was very quick fortunately. Can we talk about something else?” said Evans remembering his friend who had died many years before.
Evans remained humble about his contribution during his service on Guadalcanal.
“We just did a job,” said Evans. “We were asked to take them over there, and we were asked to bring them back off of there, and that’s what we did. That’s what the Coast Guard does. We do what we’re asked to do.”
His humbleness turns to awe as he remembers the Marines and his close association with them so many years ago.
“Got to admire those guys,” said Evans. “I really feel a great deal of pride that when they received the Presidential Unit Citation for Guadalcanal, First Marine Division, that they gave to all us Coast Guard that were there with ’em. And that was, that was great.”
In 1962, Evans retired after 23 years of service in the Coast Guard and passed away peacefully in his home May 30, 2013. And though another chapter of a heroic World War II veteran has closed, his sacrifices will never be forgotten.
For imagery from Cmdr Evans’ memorial service please click here: http://www.dvidshub.net/image/947110/cmdr-ray-evans-memorial
For Cmdr Evans’ 1992 oral history, please click here: http://www.uscg.mil/history/weboralhistory/Ray_Evans_Video_Interview.asp
Members of the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor perform a three-volley salute at the funeral of retired Coast Guard Cmdr. Ray Evans at the Mountain View Funeral Home & Memorial Park in Lakewood, Wash., June 5, 2013. Evans retired from the Coast Guard after 23 years of service. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Katelyn Tyson.
The USNI (US Naval Institute) News is reporting a new document release from the Congressional Research Service regarding the Coast Guard’s Icebreakers. You can read it here.
A cursory look suggest there is relatively little new here, but it certainly provides in depth background of the choices before Congress and how we got this far.
The Diplomat is reporting that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has acknowledged that they have begun to operate in the US EEZ off Guam and Hawaii (and presumably other US territory in the Western Pacific). This is actually seen as a positive step in that, by taking this step, China is recognizing that US Navy operations inside the Chinese EEZ are not illegal.
Still this means Coast Guard assets may encounter PLAN units, and as yet there is no counterpart to the INSEA (Incidents at Sea) agreement we had with the Soviet Union to minimize the chances for a misunderstanding.
A more aggressive, adventuresome, and far reaching PLAN might also be seen as a reason to consider reanimating the ASW mission in the Coast Guard.
There are a number of Coast Guard related groups on Facebook. Bob Connelly who is active on the Coast Guard Aviation page https://www.facebook.com/groups/cgaviation/ and the Coast Guard retired page https://www.facebook.com/groups/97743292523/ sent me this listing of those including “USCGC”. https://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=uscgc&type=groups&init=quick&tas=0.6764054787345231
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