Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Coast Guard Cutter Eagle and USS Constitution get underway in Boston with a 21-gun salute” –CG News

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The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327) passes USS Constitution in Boston Harbor during the ship’s July Fourth turnaround cruise as part of Boston Navy Week. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day event commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Sonar Technician (Submarine) 2nd Class Thomas Rooney/Released)

Below is an Atlantic Area news release on Coast Guard News. Wish I could see this.

Coast Guard Academy Cadets climb the rigging of Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327) while underway July, 30, 2024. The Eagle serves as a classroom at sea for Academy Cadets and future leaders in the Coast Guard. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme)

Aug. 7, 2024

BOSTON — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327) is scheduled to rendezvous with USS Constitution at approximately 11:30 a.m. Friday, in the vicinity of Castle Island, in Boston, Massachusetts, where the Constitution will fire a 21-gun salute.

Constitution will also fire a 17-gun salute as it passes U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston, the historic site of Edmund Hartt’s Shipyard where Constitution was built and launched on October 21, 1797.

Media members interested in riding in with Eagle for this transit can coordinate through Petty Officer Kate Kilroy at katlin.j.kilroy@uscg.mil. Those interested should RSVP by 3 p.m. Thursday and plan to be at Coast Guard Base Boston no later than 7:45 a.m. Friday.

Eagle will moor at Coast Guard Base Boston following the transit. On Saturday and Sunday, Eagle will be available for free tours for the following dates and times:

  • Saturday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
  • Sunday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

Military members and first responders with valid ID can attend tours one hour prior to posted tour times.

Media is invited to tour Eagle and conduct interviews from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Those interested should RSVP at katlin.j.kilroy@uscg.mil by 5 p.m. Friday.

At 295 feet in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy curriculum.

Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging. The cutter was constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. Originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II.

Additional information about the Eagle can be found here. The Eagle’s design dimensions can be found here.

For more information about Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, and current events, follow the “United States Coast Guard Barque EAGLE” Facebook page or on Instagram @barqueeagle. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is in the public domain and is encouraged to be shared widely.

Thanks to Paul for bringing this to my attention.

“Coast Guard participates in multinational exercise near Galapagos Islands” –Coast Guard News

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The U.S. Coast Guard joined coast guards and navies from 13 nations, between June 24 and July 9, in an exercise hosted by Ecuador to align international mission priorities seeking to ensure the defense, security, multinational cooperation and governance of the maritime domain of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Below is a release from Coast Guard News. More photos and a video there. 

This is another outstanding performance by a Webber class WPC. District Eleven has sent Fast Response Cutters (FRC) down to the Eastern Pacific Drug transit zones before, but this is further and unlike previous deployments, the little ship was not accompanied by an accompanying larger vessel. 

No reason this size vessel should not be able to do it, but it requires a lot of planning. Fortunately, there is a new Expeditionary Logistics Element to provide support.

I would note that, despite the fact that the Atlantic Area has far more FRCs and at least 20 of them are closer to the Eastern Pacific than the four FRCs based in San Pedro, no Atlantic Area FRCs have made it into the Eastern Pacific. Perhaps this is a prototype operation, a proof of concept. Pac Area has proven its possible.

U.S. Coast Guard District 11, Aug. 6, 2024

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard joined coast guards and navies from 13 nations, between June 24 and July 9, in an exercise hosted by Ecuador to align international mission priorities seeking to ensure the defense, security, multinational cooperation and governance of the maritime domain of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The Eleventh Coast Guard District employed the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms, a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter, and subject matter experts to engage in professional exchanges with international partners completing a variety of exercises centered around countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations.

“Fostering strong diplomatic and operational relationships between the U.S. and partner nations is essential in having improved maritime security and governance,” said Capt. Jason Hagen, Eleventh District chief of Enforcement Division. “By participating in exercises like Galapex, the U.S. Coast Guard can assess and understand operational capabilities of other nations in the IUU domain, which strengthens future joint multi-agency and multi-national maritime operations.”

During the exercise, participants simulated real-world scenarios to refine response strategies for IUU fishing activities. The exercise helped participating nations to develop and refine procedures in enforcing maritime law.

“As the sole U.S surface asset to participate in the exercise, the cutter executed our first unsupported expeditionary patrol to the Southern Hemisphere in the Eastern Pacific area of operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Allice Gholston, commanding officer of the USCGC Benjamin Bottoms (WPC-1132). “The crew engaged with 14 partner nations both on land and at sea and did so in impeccable fashion. We encourage the continued partnership with the Ecuador Navy in future iterations of Galapex.”

Transiting 3,500 miles from homeport to Ecuador and Galapagos Islands, the crew pushed the boundaries of mission sets and downrange operations. The ability to conduct expeditionary operations in support of our Central and South American partners could only be possible with the support of the Coast Guard’s Expeditionary Logisitics Element (LOG-X), providing foreign port contracting services and advanced medical staffing through the deployable independent duty health services technician billet.

Working with the CG Attache in the U.S. Embassy Quito, the cutter enacted the ship rider program under the maritime bilateral agreement with Ecuador, hosting an Ecuadorian Coast Guard officer while underway.

The scenarios were run out of Ecuador’s Maritime Operations Center in Salinas, Ecuador. Drills included nine ships including the cutter Benjamin Bottoms operating as a task force and implementing standard procedures and considerations for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations within the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) high seas boarding inspections.

“AC-130J Ghostrider Hammers Amphibious Warship During Rare Appearance At Sinking Exercise” –The War Zone

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The War Zone provides a video of one minute and 36 seconds of a RIMPAC2024 SINKEX.

The firing platform is an Air Force AC-130J and the weapons used were a 105mm (4.1″) howitzer and a 30mm chain gun.

As noted previously, to respond to a terrorist threat, the Coast Guard needs to be able to forcibly stop any ship, regardless of size. I don’t think the weapons the Coast Guard has can do that. So, I wanted you to see the effects of the weapons used in the video.

We already know that 30mm rounds, weighing about twice as much as the 25mm rounds, are much more effective. In a US Navy test against boats (65 feet long or smaller), the 30mm did nine times the damage to the hull and five times the damage inside the hull. The 25mm rounds, exploding on impact, failed to even penetrate the 1/4 inch aluminum hull of the Mk3 target boat.

Against larger targets, is even the 30mm gun used in the new Mk38 Mod4 effective? It appears the rounds may be exploding on impact. You would not want to be out on deck when this happening, but it appears the rounds may be exploding on contact and not penetrating.

The 57mm round is about 7 times larger than the 30mm, but still relatively small for a naval gun.

You see a hit from the 105mm at 30 seconds. The 105mm fires a 33 pound projectile, about 5 and a half times larger than the 57mm. It would have probably killed anyone in the bridge, but even it did relatively little damage to the structural integrity of the ship. It did not seem that any of the damage effected the engineering plant or the watertight integrity of the ship.

Getting a mobility kill on a ship with gun fire is extremely difficult. What the Coast Guard has is not what it needs.

More here, here, and here.

Changes to the Fleet / “MMEA to get ex-US Coast Guard cutter next year” –The Star

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USCGC Steadfast (WMEC 623)

The Star, a Malaysian publication, reports,

“The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is set to receive the former United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Steadfast once its preparation in Baltimore, in the US, is completed and the vessel is transported back to Malaysia in the first quarter of 2025.”

Of the 16 original WMEC210s, two, Courageous and Durable were decommissioned in 2001 and later transferred to Sri Lanka and Colombia respectively. That left us with 14.

USCGC Decisive was decommissioned 2 March 2023, followed by USCGC Steadfast decommissioned Feb. 1, 2024. That left us with 12.

Most recently, this year, three more WMEC210s were effectively decommissioned, being placed in “In Commission, Special” status: Dependable, 9 April; Confidence 2 May; and Dauntless 21 June. This status suggests they might reenter active service sometime in the future, but it probably means they are being held as parts donors.

This leaves the Coast Guard with nine active WMEC210s, 13 WMEC270, Alex Haley, and ten National Security Cutters, a total of 33 large patrol cutters, fewer than the currently planned 36 (11 NSCs and 25 OPCs).

This is the smallest number of large patrol cutters the Coast Guard has had since 1941.

As much as I am impressed with the capabilities of the Webber class Fast Response Cutters, they are not a substitute for cutters that have an endurance of 21 days or more.

We can’t really expect the remaining WMECs to remain in service until replaced on a one for one basis. There is a good chance we will see the number drop further. We need to start completing more than two cutters a year. We have not been completing even one a year (10 NSCs in 16 years).

The Coast Guard has contract or options for 15 OPCs. Eleven have been named, one has been launched. I don’t think contracts have been awarded nor work done on any more than five. GAO anticipates there will be additional delays and costs will rise.

If planning started in the near future, instead of building the last ten OPCs, the Coast Guard could build about 20 true WMEC replacements of 2,000 to 2,500 tons for the about the same price and have at least ten of them completed by 2038 when the last OPCs is supposed to be completed. If we tried hard enough, we might have all 20 completed by then, providing 46 cutters by then instead of 36. It is not impossible. In only nine years, 1964 to 1972 the Coast Guard commissioned 28 ships, 16 WMEC210s and 12 WHEC378s.

Thanks to Peter for bringing the report of Steadfast’s transfer to my attention.

Coast Guard Day, 2024

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240229-G-NJ244-1001 Crews from Coast Guard cutters Hamilton (WMSL 753) and Munro (WMSL 755) conduct at-sea training in the Pacific Ocean, March 12, 2024. Hamilton and Munro exchanged cutter boats and sailed in formation during this evolution. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Ray Corniel)

Crews from Coast Guard cutters Hamilton (WMSL 753) and Munro (WMSL 755) conduct at-sea training in the Pacific Ocean, March 12, 2024. Hamilton and Munro exchanged cutter boats and sailed in formation during this evolution. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Ray Corniel)

Happy Coast Guard Day, wherever you are.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Chase Stewart, an Electrician’s Mate assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) greets his family at the cutter’s return to home port on Coast Guard Base Alameda, Calif., following a 98-day patrol in the Indo-Pacific region, April 8, 2024. The Cutter Bertholf deployed to the Indo-Pacific to advance relationships with ally and partner nations to build a more stable, free, open and resilient region with unrestricted, lawful access to the maritime commons.​ (U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel)

Coast Guard C130J

47-Foot Motor Life Boat (MLB) 47231 from Station Morrow Bay, 4 Dec 2007. Photo by Mike Baird

Following efforts with Kiribati partners, the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crew transit in the Republic of Marshall Islands Exclusive Economic Zone during the next leg of their expeditionary patrol on Feb. 24, 2024. Underway in support of Operation Blue Pacific, the cutter crew showcased the effectiveness of the U.S. and RMI maritime bilateral agreement, conducting a shared patrol with shipriders emphasizing collaborative efforts in maritime safety, security, and stewardship in terms of resource protection. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

ANTARCTICA 02.03.2024 Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Graves
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Don Rudnickas, the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) operations officer, salutes Cmdr. Jayna McCarron, Polar Star’s executive officer, prior to a medal ceremony for Polar Star’s crew on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Feb. 3, 2024. The U.S. military’s support of U.S. Antarctic research began in 1955. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command continues to lead the Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica team in providing logistic support for the United States Antarctic Program. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Graves)

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa (WMEC 902) transits the Florida Straits on Feb. 4, 2024, supporting Operation Vigilant Sentry. Tampa is homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Brodie MacDonald)

Feb 15, 2024
U.S. 5TH FLEET – The U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) seizes a vessel carrying military-grade weapons and other lethal supplies in the Arabian Sea, Jan. 28. Clarence Sutphin Jr. operates in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Wassylenko, Coast Guard Cutter Willow buoy deck supervisor (wearing yellow safety hardhat in photo), prepares to set a relief hull in Mayaguez Bay, Puerto Rico Oct. 9, 2022. During Willow’s eight-day visit to Puerto Rico, crewmembers serviced 23 aids to navigation and performed eight buoy hull reliefs around island ports and navigable waters in Arecibo, Culebra, Guanica, Guayanilla, Ponce, San Juan, Tallaboa, and Vieques. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Rear Admiral F. J. Lowry on deck of the USCGC Duane. Photos by Dale Rooks, a Coast Guard Photographer’s Mate First Class.

Members of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL-751) law enforcement boarding team inspect a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Nov. 20, 2023. The interdiction of the SPSS yielded more than 5,500 pounds of cocaine. In November 2023, Waesche crewmembers seized approximately 18,219 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of over $239 million, during four separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

CG Squadron 3 enroute Subic Bay, 1967, Vietnam War

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg, Florida, conducts training near the station on a new 29-foot response boat-small II Aug. 25, 2014. The Coast Guard placed a delivery order for 20 additional boats Jan. 12, 2018. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Meredith Manning.

GULF OF OMAN (Nov. 14, 2023) Illegal narcotics seized from a stateless vessel are stacked on the deck of the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 14. Emlen Tunnell was operating under Combined Task Force 150, one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. CTF 150 focuses on maritime security operations in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. (Photo by U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)

Every Coast Guard Aircraft Type Pictured Together In Rare ‘Family Photo’. Pictured: HC-130J, C-27J, HC-144, C-37B, MH-60T, MH-65E.

US Coast Guard cutter Munro transits the Taiwan Strait with US Navy destroyer USS Kidd in August. US Navy

KEYPORT, Wash. (Aug. 18, 2009) U. S. Coast Guardsmen man the rails as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox (WPB 87374) is brought to life at Naval Base Kitsap. (U.S. Navy photo Ray Narimatsu/Released)

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returns to home port after 79-day patrol, April 9, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Charly Tautfest)

A U.S Coast Guard 87-foot patrol boat fleet stages in Freeport, Bahamas for storm avoidance, Sept. 27, 2022. The Coast Guard from South Carolina to the Florida Keys and Caribbean are urging mariners to secure their vessels and paddlecraft, stay informed and follow local evacuation orders, and use VHF Ch. 16 or 911 for emergency assistance. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Senior Chief Petty Officer Brodie MacDonald)

The Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC 630) conducts an engagement coincidental to operations with members of the Guatemalan Navy August 23, 2022, five miles south of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. The engagement to strengthen law enforcement and search and rescue capabilities with our partners in Guatemala included joint pursuit training with two Guatemalan small boats, and a search-and-rescue exercise with the Guatemalan vessels Kukulkan and the Kaibil Balam. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo.

An Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew flies over the Coast Guard Cutters Midgett (WMSL 757) and Kimball (WMSL 756) off Oahu, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2019. The Midgett joined the Kimball as the second national security cutter homeported in Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West/Released)

Lt. j.g. Mary Sims, executive officer of USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), takes a photo with students touring the ship at the pier in Tacloban, Philippines, on Oct. 21, 2023. In a historic first, the USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) visited Tacloban, Philippines, from Oct. 19 to 23, 2023, and the crew conducted engagements marking a significant milestone in the enduring relationship between the United States and the Philippines. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Mary Sims)

Should There Be a Coast Guard Barbie?

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A female U.S. Navy aviator Barbie doll of the character Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, from the movie ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ is posed in Teterboro, New Jersey, on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021. Barbie has represented every long-standing U.S. military branch except the Coast Guard. (Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo)

There is a Barbie doll representing every US military service except the Coast Guard (and maybe Space Force). Should there be a Coast Guard Barbie? You can get the story and vote here.

Perhaps a rescue swimmer.

I think it would sell well at Coast Guard Exchanges.

Gun vs Missiles: Pakistan’s Damen Built 2600 Ton OPV

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Naval News reports,

The Pakistan Navy has commissioned its first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 2600, named PNS HUNAIN, at Constanta Port in Romania.

This is a rare beast, a heavily armed Offshore Patrol Vessel. It is a medium sized OPV, little more than half the size of a National Security Cutter or Offshore Patrol Cutter:

  • Length: 98.0 m (321′)
  • Beam: 14.6 m (48′)
  • Draught: 4.0 m (13′)
  • Displacement: 2600 tons
  • Speed: 24 knots

The basic design, the DAMEN OPV 2600, may have been the Bollinger proposal for the Offshore Patrol Cutter competition. At that time DAMEN’s generic OPV 2600 looked like this.

OPV 2600 multi-mission patrol vessel rendering (Source: Damen)

The ship has not been fitted out yet. If the model seen in the report is actually the way the ship is equipped, the Pakistani OPV will have

Pakistan seems to have decided it was better to go with a small 40mm gun rather than a 76mm to make room for the air defense missiles. I think that was a good decision and may save money in the long run.

My own feeling is that the only thing guns can do that missiles cannot do as well or better is fire shots across the bow. To be able to fire a shot across the bow is a requirement for a law enforcement vessel, but while it is commonly done in the CG by a .50 caliber, if you want to do it at a greater range, say four km or about two nautical miles, the 40mm is a good choice. The need for a larger gun for that purpose is highly unlikely.

Upfront costs to buy a medium caliber gun, its fire control systems, and its initial ammunition allowance are high, as are long term personnel support costs.

A capability to launch missiles that have a higher probability of hit and greater hitting power beyond the effective range of 57 or 76mm guns may actually be relatively inexpensive. Plus, VLS missile launchers may actually look less intimidating than heavy guns.

Graphic from Leonardo

 

“Coast Guard Cutter James honored by White House at United States Interdiction Coordinator Awards Ceremony” –CG News

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Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) personnel pose for a photo with other law enforcement agency officials, July 19, at the White House in Washington, D.C. for the annual United States Interdiction Coordinator Awards. James’ crew was recognized with the top maritime interdiction during the awards ceremony. (Photo courtesy of the White House)

Below is a release from Coast Guard News.

Wanted to highlight this, because it all goes back to one very junior person who took her job seriously and a command that believed in her.

July 26, 2024

Coast Guard Cutter James honored by White House at United States Interdiction Coordinator Awards Ceremony

To view the full event, click here. 

WASHINGTON — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) was honored at the White House during the United States Interdiction Coordinator Awards Ceremony on July 19.

The annual event, held by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), recognized the exceptional contributions and achievements of various law enforcement entities in drug interdiction efforts. James’ crew was recognized for top maritime interdiction.

Amidst heavy seas on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2023, a junior watchstander noticed what appeared to be the wake of a go-fast vessel approximately 10 nautical miles off James’ bow. The cutter set its go-fast response bill, spurring the entirety of James’ crew in motion to prepare for a counter-drug pursuit. James used an operational procedure agreed upon with Ecuador that allowed law enforcement teams to embark the foreign-flagged vessel, where they found 73 bales of cocaine. Following the successful seizure of 3,863 pounds of cocaine and the detention of three suspected narcotraffickers, James coordinated an at-sea transfer of the detainees and contraband with Ecuador to enable home country prosecution and strengthen a key partnership.

To successfully spot a target of interest on the high seas without positive identification from aerial assets or radar is known as a cold hit. Within the realm of maritime interdiction, cold hits are the equivalent of finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, a complex difficult task made more challenging by the heavy seas and gray skies that limited visibility on that day. In this case, the cold hit detection of the go-fast vessel was made by the lookout, one of James’ most junior crewmembers, who had been in the Coast Guard for only six months. Her initial cold hit spurred the rest of the crew and teams into action.

During the ceremony, ONDCP Director Dr. Rahul Gupta, commended the crew of James for their outstanding service and unwavering commitment to protecting the nation’s borders and safeguarding the lives of countless Americans. The cutter’s achievements are a testament to the Coast Guard’s enduring legacy of excellence in maritime law enforcement and drug interdiction.

“It was an honor to receive this award on behalf of the entire James crew,” said Capt. Donald Terkanian, commanding officer of James. “Our crew’s exceptional efforts disrupted illicit drug trafficking, deprived transnational criminal organizations of millions of dollars in revenue, apprehended suspected traffickers, strengthened a key partnership, and helped save lives by preventing drugs from reaching the streets.”

James is a 418-foot, Legend-class national security cutter, homeported in North Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug operations and defense readiness. Stone falls under the command of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia. Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. In addition to surge operations, Atlantic Area also allocates ships to deploy to the Caribbean Sea, Eastern Pacific Ocean, and South Atlantic Ocean to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity.

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.

“B-2 Stealth Bomber Demoes QUICKSINK Low Cost Maritime Strike Capability During RIMPAC 2024” –The Aviationist

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We are starting to hear some stories about what was done during RIMPAC 2024. The Aviationist reports,

The U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit carried out a QUICKSINK demonstration during the second SINKEX (Sinking Exercise) of RIMPAC 2024. This marks the very first time a B-2 Spirit has been publicly reported to test this anti-ship capability… During the drills, two long-planned live-fire sinking exercises (SINKEXs) led to the sinking of two decommissioned ships: USS Dubuque (LPD 8), sunk on July 11, 2024; and the USS Tarawa (LHA 1), sunk on July 19.

The video above is from 2022. Unlike the recent RIMPAC sinking, the weapon was delivered by an F-15 and the target was only a small ship.

We talked about QuickSink earlier and why preparing Coast Guard aircraft to use it on the first day of a war might be a good idea.

Perhaps the threat of an invasion of Taiwan may have influenced the choice of targets for the SINEXes.

USS Dubuque (LPD-8)

Yuzhao (Type 071) Class Amphibious Ship With two Houbei (Type 022) fast attack craft behind. CSR Report RL33153 China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress by Ronald O’Rourke dated February 28, 2014.

020628-N-3228G-001.Pearl Harbor, HI (Jun. 28, 2002) — Amphibious warfare ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) leaves Pearl Harbor to participate in exercise “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) 2002.  U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class William R. Goodwin. (RELEASED)

I look forward to seeing the Videos. Would really like to know how many weapons of each type were used. These big ships can be very hard to sink.

QuickSink, a modified 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAM that blows up under the keel, is the only non-nuclear weapon that may be more deadly to ships than a torpedo, and the B-2 can carry 16 of them. Employing the Rapid Dragon system, C-17s and C-130s could bring many more.

Below is video of the USS Denver SINKEX in 2022. She was a sister ship of USS Debuque.