“Artist rendering of containerized missile system for the Indian Navy. (Picture source: Defence Decode)” Note this same illustration was used to portray a Russian system and later a Chinese system. 

NavyRecognition reports,

“According to information published by the Indian MoD on December 17, 2022, containerised missile systems are being inducted by the Indian Navy to enhance operational capability and augment flexibility in operations.”

We have seen reports of similar containerized weapon systems before from China and Russia. We have seen artist concepts (and here) of containerized missile systems on Russia’s new Navy and Coast Guard icebreaker class (below), but we have not actually seen them mounted.

Project 23550, Ivan Papanin class icebreaking patrol vessel with towing capability and containerized cruise missiles.

This is the first time I have actually seen a Navy actually state explicitly that such a system was being procured.

Why should this be of interest to the Coast Guard?

• Terrorist might use a similar system.
• We have to worry that in the opening round of a near peer conflict, cruise missiles might be launched from apparently innocent looking container ships.
• Containerized weapon systems might be a way to quickly improve the weapons capability of Coast Guard cutters should the need arise.

India has already demonstrated a willingness to mount missiles on their offshore patrol vessels, although it was essentially only a test.

Dhanush missile launching from INS Subhadra patrol vessel
(Picture: DRDO)

A Dhanush missile launching from a ship.

The Coast Guard had only a minor role in this incident, but it does concern deck seamanship.

It also seems, the Navy is not holding itself to Coast Guard established industry standards and consequently may be putting the passengers, staff, and crew in unnecessary danger.

The commentator on the video is well qualified so his comments should be taken seriously.

This class is now very old. It is probably time for it to be replaced with ships that are better thought out.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro and Japan Coast Guard Patrol Vessel Large Aso, transit together in formation during a maritime engagement in the East China Sea Aug. 25, 2021. U.S. Coast Guard members aboard the Munro deployed to the Western Pacific Ocean to strengthen alliances and partnerships and improve maritime governance and security in the region. (Photo courtesy of Japan Coast Guard)

Just wanted to post a paragraph from this Naval News post,

“…With the Gray Zone, you can’t have enough [U.S.] Coast Guard forward,” said VADM Thomas responding to a question regarding partnering the U.S. Coast Guard with the U.S. Navy. “They’ve been great partners [the U.S. Coast Guard] and they’ve been pushing forward as much as they can, and I think it’s a capacity issue (but the right tool for the job)” since the U.S. Coast Guard works with the INDO-PACOM ally nations’ coast guards.

From a previous patrol. The Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry conducts a patrol in and around American Samoa, covering 8,169 nautical miles. The crew sought to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing and other maritime threats across the Pacific to protect the United States and our partner’s resource security and sovereignty. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the CGC Juniper)

Military.com reports,

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry returned home to Honolulu this week in time for holiday festivities following a 38-day expeditionary fishery patrol in the South Pacific.

The Oliver Berry’s crew conducted 12 fisheries boardings, identified 16 fishery and safety violations and completed 18 community relation events while sailing from Honolulu to Kiribati, Samoa, the kingdom of Tonga and American Samoa during the 7,000-nautical-mile patrol before returning to its homeport on Tuesday, according to a news release.

These extraordinary voyages by these little ships are becoming routine. Also an indication of how difficult it is to prosecute IUU.

Coast Guard Information Systems Technicians inside a server room at the Telecommunication and Information Systems Command (TISCOM) Jan. 24, 2013. U.S. COAST GUARD / Petty Officer 2nd Class Etta Smith

The Navy League’s on-line magazine, Seapower, reports,

The Coast Guard is creating three reserve entities to strengthen its cyber capabilities, the service’s headquarters announced in an internal message.

Below is a post from MyCG. Above is a recitation of “Coast Guard Cutter Waesche’s Dance with Fire” by the author, Chief Petty Officer Melissa Mathis.

The 40PB shows its speed in this photo and is armed with a .50cal M2 heavy machine gun at the bow, 7.62mm miniguns and acoustic devices amidships, and a M240B at the stern. The radar, electro-optical camera, and FLIR are visible on the short mast above the cabin. Metal Shark photo.

The US Naval Institute News Service reports,

The United States will send 40 armored riverine boats to Ukraine as part of the latest assistance package.

The riverine boats are part of a $400 million aid package announced Friday. It’s the second time the U.S. is sending riverine boats to Ukraine as part of ongoing assistance in response to the Russian invasion.

The type of boat was not identified. The last boats the US sent to Ukraine were 44 foot patrol boats built by Metal Shark. They are not armored but they can have armor panels installed.

The Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry conducts a patrol in and around American Samoa, covering 8,169 nautical miles. The crew sought to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing and other maritime threats across the Pacific to protect the United States and our partner’s resource security and sovereignty. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the CGC Juniper)

Forbes reports on what might be an unexpected problem for the Coast Guard, a shortage of cooks to fill afloat billets. Consequently, there are now high bonuses for those who are qualified and want to cook for the Coast Guard.

Anyone who has spent any time afloat knows how important the cooks are to a ship’s morale.

The article reminds us that contracting out food preparation for shore units adversely affects coastie cooks sea/shore ratio and drive people out of the service.

There is also a bit of insight into what is necessary to allow Webber class WPCs to make those long Pacific deployments.

The FV Scandies Rose arriving in Kodiak, Alaska, in an undated photo. The fishing vessel sank off Alaska’s Sutwik Island in 2019, with the loss of five of seven crew members. Source: Gerry Cobban Knagin via NTSB

gCaptain reports,

The GAO report concluded that the while the Coast Guard does make efforts to promote commercial fishing vessel safety, including through conducting dockside exams, engaging with industry, and collaborating with other federal agencies, it has yet to fully implement 17 of 22 statutory requirements enacted over the 10-year timeframe.

Plus there is a lot more.