“The U.S. Coast Guard is looking to take the last remaining hurdle to begin construction of its first heavy icebreaker in 50 years. According to USCG leadership the production decision by the Department of Homeland Security is expected this week. This final step will allow work on the Polar Security Cutter to begin at Bollinger Shipyards in Mississippi.”
The post also passes along unfavorable comparisons between US and China icebreaker construction but does not note that the Chinese icebreaker construction has been far less ambitious in terms of capabilities than that of the US Coast Guard.
Hopefully construction will start in the near future. The six years delay in starting construction is less troubling to me than the fact we were about 20 years late in starting the project in the first place. Unfortunately, we saw the same thing in the start of the OPC project.
231024-A-LS473-1027 ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 24, 2023) U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) sails in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 24. Glen Harris operates in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. William Hunter)
The accompanying photo of USCGC Glen Harris is particularly good. The additional equipment mounted only on PATFORSWA FRCs is clearly visible on the mast, as are the Long-Range Audio Devices. On the aft starboard corner of the O-1 (bridge) deck, a Mk19 Mod3 grenade launcher Machine Gun is visible. The Mk19 Mod3 has an airburst round so may be effective against UAS (drones) at short range. I have heard that the 25×137mm M242 gun in their Mk38 Mod2 or 3 mounts has been replaced by a 30×173mm Mk44 which also has an air burst round, but I have seen no additional evidence this is the case.
231024-A-LS473-1027 (cropped) ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 24, 2023) USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) sails in the Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. William Hunter)
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS —
The boarding team discovered and seized 5,316.1 kilograms of hashish, 181.4 kilograms of heroin and 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and, after documenting and weighing the illicit haul, properly disposed of it. Total estimated market value of the narcotics is $4.6 million.
Glen Harris was supporting a Task Force (TF) 51/5 mission at the time of the seizure.
U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Stephen J. Lightfoot, commanding general of TF 51/5, said operations such as these help maintain freedom of the seas and is part of a larger effort with partner nations in the region.
“The collaboration between our Coast Guardsmen, Marines and Sailors is outstanding,” Lightfoot said. “I’m proud of our interoperability. We are disrupting criminal acts at sea and keeping over five tons of narcotics from hurting more people.”
“Glen Harris is one of six U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters performing maritime security operations throughout the region,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Patrick Murphy, commodore of TF 55, also known as Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50, which has tactical control of Glen Harris. “The U.S. Coast Guard brings expertise and flexibility to the wide range of missions we execute.”
Glen Harris is forward deployed to Bahrain as part of a Patrol Forces Southwest Asia under tactical control of TF 55, consisting of surface forces, including U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats and independently deployed ships in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
Task Force 51/5 executes operations, responds to contingencies and crises, and conducts theater security cooperation at sea, from the sea and ashore in support of U.S. Central Command, 5th Fleet and Marine Forces, Central Command theater objectives.
The War Zone reports that Ukraine has equipped some of their unmanned surface vessels (USV) with machineguns to allow them to respond to Russian countermeasures including helicopters and jet fighters. The video above is from the perspective of the USV.
It is interesting but what if the Coast Guard was in the position of the defenders? The attacker could be any type of small, fast, highly maneuverable, surface craft, manned or unmanned.
Take a look at the video linked here and included in the “War Zone” post. A Russian Border Security Force Kamov Ka-29 helicopter is attempting to stop a USV using both a door gunner and a forward firing gun. What I see:
It is daylight–advantage helo
The helicopter is at relatively close range–advantage helo
The USV is not shooting back–advantage helo
It appears the helicopter is getting at least a few hits
What I am not seeing:
Any effect on the surface craft’s speed or maneuverability
Use of guided weapons that would quickly disable the surface craft at longer range
In this case the helicopter, which is taking no return fire, might be able to stay on top of the surface craft and complete the destruction of the USV, but if that had been the case, you would have thought the video would have included it. For some reason the mission appears to have been unsuccessful. The helicopter may have run out of ammunition or been low on fuel.
If there had been more than one attacking USV and/or their objective was nearby, the time taken to achieve a kill might be critical. If the surface craft has been firing back, the helicopter might have been lost in the attempt.
Every Coast Guard Aircraft Type Pictured Together In Rare ‘Family Photo’. Pictured: HC-130J, C-27J, HC-144, C-37B, MH-60T, MH-65E.
I have always been under the impression that the Coast Guard aviation fleet was better maintained than the cutter fleet. That, because of the more immediate and potentially fatal results of unreliability, the aviation part of the Coast Guard was immune from the insidious desire to “do more with less” that effects the cutter fleet. I may have been wrong.
The Coast Guard needs to move fast. The crisis in the Coast Guard’s rotary wing community not going away. As of early December, almost 18 percent of the Coast Guard’s 45-strong MH-60T “Jayhawk” medium range recovery fleet is out of service. Eight helicopters with over 19,000 flight hours are, as of now, permanently grounded….If the flight restrictions remain, the Coast Guard aviation—led by the hard-used Jayhawks—will run into serious peril. By late 2023, over 90 percent of the Coast Guard’s MH-60T helicopters were operating with more 16,000 flight hours, so, without a rollback to the Coast Guard’s original 20,000 flight hour target, several more Coast Guard Jayhawks are set to bump up against the new 19,000 flight hour limitation…Coast Guard leadership is finally showing signs of throwing in the towel and recognizing reality. A new aviation strategy is under development. In a December 10th email, a Coast Guard spokesperson wrote, “We are developing a comprehensive strategy for the future of Coast Guard Aviation,” that “will outline aircraft transitions across our rotary and fixed-wing fleets, as well as the potential development of an uncrewed fleet.”
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Hopefully this is just the CG aviation community making a timely correction.
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The current Coast Guard MH-60T program as outlined by the Acquisitions Directorate is here and I have reproduced the text below.
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When I first heard about the grounding of H-60s due to the reduction in pre-SLEP operational life from 20,000 to 19,000 hours, it appeared to me that the Coast Guard should be able to continue to maintain at least the capabilities it had previously enjoyed as SLEPs had been completed on all MH-65s and newly SLEPed and additional remanufactured HMH-60Ts joined the fleet. In fact, a new H-60 air station has been opened, but perhaps the rebuilds are taking longer than expected, H-65s are proving difficult to maintain, and the effects of reduced operational life are cascading.
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I have a lot of respect for the author, Craig Hooper. He has been very supportive of the Coast Guard.
… it is going to take a long time. H-65s will be with us until the early 2040s. The Coast Guard intends to increase its H-60 fleet to at least 127, up from 45. Currently the Coast Guard has 98 H-65s or a total 143 rotary wing aircraft. We may be looking at 16 fewer total aircraft, but that is in the distant future and not really a reason for concern. Somehow, I doubt the plan will remain unchanged for 20 years, nor should it.
Thanks to David V. for bringing this to my attention.
Consolidation of the Coast Guard’s rotary wing fleet to a single MH-60T airframe is necessary to mitigate sustainability challenges with the MH-65 short range recovery helicopter and maintain the service’s rotary wing capability until recapitalization in line with the Department of Defense’s Future Vertical Lift program.
How will the Coast Guard increase and sustain the fleet?
The Coast Guard established a service life extension program (SLEP) in 2017 to extend the service life of the 45 MH-60T aircraft currently in the fleet. These helicopters have been in service since 1990; without the SLEP, 90% of the MH-60T fleet would reach the end of its service life by 2028.
As part of the SLEP, the Coast Guard is replacing the hulls of the legacy airframes with hulls from two sources: retired U.S. Navy H-60 aircraft and newly manufactured hulls procured from the original equipment manufacturer, Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky.
The Navy hulls are being converted to the MH-60T configuration at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The program awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contact in January 2021 for the production of new hulls – consisting of three fuselage structure sections: the nose, mid (cabin) and transition – that will be engineered, manufactured and delivered in the MH-60T configuration. Use of new hulls provides an airframe service life of 20,000 flight hours, compared to an average service life of approximately 12,000 flight hours for the previously used Navy hulls.
The remaining production activities – including installation of new dynamic components such as rotors and electrical rewiring – for all hulls will also be completed at ALC.
In October 2023, the Coast Guard received approval from the DHS to proceed with acquisition program activities that expand on the original SLEP to include a component for fleet growth.
The MH-60T Acquisition/Sustainment Program is authorized to:
Move to full rate production of newly manufactured hulls as part of the SLEP for the existing MH-60T fleet.
Conduct Obtain Phase activities and execute low-rate initial production of 12 new aircraft that will transition three Coast Guard air stations currently operating with the MH-65 to the MH-60T.
Begin Obtain Phase activities for aircraft that will transition the remaining Coast Guard air stations to the MH-60T from the MH-65.
The SLEP is now known as Increment 1 of the program. To date, three aircraft have completed SLEP activities. Forty-five new hulls are currently under contract.
The first fleet growth phase, known as Increment 2 of the program, will organically produce 36 aircraft to convert eight air stations from MH-65 to MH-60T operations. The program has been authorized to produce the first 12 aircraft for this increment and will seek authorization from DHS to produce the remaining aircraft at a later date. Transition of the first air station under Increment 2 started in summer 2024.
The air stations not transitioned to MH-60Ts under Increment 2 will be converted as part of Increment 3 of the program. The final air station transition is anticipated to occur in the early 2040s.
The MH-60T Acquisition/Sustainment Program was initially chartered in 2017 to evaluate and implement technical and mechanical solutions for extending MH-60T use through the 2030s. On Oct. 31, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security gave approval to add acquisition program activities to the existing SLEP.
The sustainment effort is being implemented through form, fit and function replacements of the structural hull components, dynamic components such as the rotor, and electrical rewiring. Replacement of the structural hulls will be accomplished either through conversions of retired Navy SH-60F/HH-60H hulls into the MH-60T specification or through the procurement of newly manufactured hulls from the original equipment manufacturer that will be engineered, manufactured and delivered to the Coast Guard in the MH-60T specification.
The acquisition effort will start with the conversion of eight air stations from MH-65 to MH-60T operations through the organic production of 36 aircraft. The program has been authorized to produce the first 12 aircraft for this increment and will seek further authorization from DHS to produce the remaining aircraft.
The existing MH-60T avionics components and software will continue to be used and maintained on the replacement hulls through decommissioning and disposal.
Characteristics
Length: 64 feet 10 inches
Rotor Diameter: 53 feet 8 inches
Height: 17 feet
Maximum Weight: 21,884 pounds
Cruise Speed: 170 knots
Range: 700 nautical miles
Service Ceiling: 13,000 feet
Endurance: 6.5 hours
Crew: four
Features
Common avionics architecture system of digital glass cockpit instruments similar to those installed on the Coast Guard’s fixed-wing aircraft
Surface search radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors
Engines standard with the Department of Defense’s H-60 fleet
Five multifunction display screens
Sensor and hoist cameras
Integrated traffic collision avoidance system
7.62 mm machine gun for firing warning shots and a 7.62 mm shoulder-fired weapon for precise targeting, such as disabling engines on noncompliant go-fast vessels, can be installed
Standardized mission system components complementing capabilities and equipment installed on the Coast Guard’s upgraded MH-65 short range recovery helicopter
Drones are hot sellers. There are a lot of them, and there will be many more after Christmas. With the reports of use of drones in the war between Ukraine and Russia, activities involving drones are starting to receive a lot of public attention, and it is not surprising that many see them as potentially dangerous or at least a threat to privacy. Drones flown at night have probably also resulted in a number of UFO sighting reports. Plus, a lot of drone operators are not aware or ignore FAA regulations that apply to them.
Opinions about the size and speed of drones seen at night are extremely unreliable, but there are ways to identify drones that are operating legally. I will try to provide some basic information and point toward the current regulations.
Why are they hard to track? Large drones are not hard to track if they are operated at altitude. On the other hand, small drones operated at low altitudes are very hard to pick up on radar. They are down in the clutter. Virtually all of these sightings are probably small drones of less than 55 pounds, the vast majority less than five pounds.
Air search radars frequently exploit doppler effect to pick moving targets out of the clutter, but most drones are slower than the speeds necessary to trigger a detection by doppler–they are close to the ground and move at speeds similar to that of millions of cars.
In addition to being small, most drones are made of non-radar reflective materials like foam and plastic. There is very little that would return a radar signal other than the motors and wires.
Why don’t the operators show up electronically? Most radios used to control drones now are frequency agile and relatively short range so they may be difficult to recognize. They have to be frequency agile because they use the same radio frequencies common in household electronics, so short bursts on a 2.4 GHZ frequency are indistinguishable from thousands of others. Also, drones may fly a preprogrammed route with no additional radio frequency required. Drones can also be programmed to follow a person or presumably any moving object.
Are they doing anything illegal? FAA Regulations Part 107 applies to both recreational and commercial use of small, civil, unmanned aircraft systems–small meaning 55 pounds (25 kg) or less. As the operator of remote-control model airplanes that are, like multi-rotors, considered drones, I am somewhat familiar with the issues.
Some things are specifically illegal without a specific waiver or exemption. Waivers may be relatively easy to obtain. I regularly get one where I fly.
Flying a UAS beyond the line of sight of the person or team controlling the drone
Flying more than 400 feet above ground level.
A single pilot operating more than one aircraft simultaneously
Flying at night or during twilight without required lighting.
Operating in restricted air space. (Restricted areas may be temporary like over sporting events or effectively permanent like around airports and over Washington DC.)
Flying or hovering over your house at less than 400 feet is probably not illegal, but flying over people exposed on the ground may be. Harrasing people on the ground with a drone is definitely illegal.
How can they be detected and identified? Perhaps most relevant is the requirement to have a remote ID module if flown outside of a “Federally Recognized Identification Area (FRIA)” (typically a defined area around a remote-controlled model airfield registered and approved by the FAA).
So that solves the problem, right? No! The ID modules are short range, I have heard 2 miles or less. Operated low or where terrain blocks the signal, it is going to be less, so to even detect the signal you have to be relatively close. There are applications for smart phones that allow anyone to access the ID module signal, but generally law enforcement has received no training and in fact has no knowledge that these are available.
So, what should we do? We are in a transition period. Going from a time when drone sightings were rare, to a time when they will be routine. Amazon is planning on using drones to drop packages. Drones are useful. They are not going away. Seeing lights in the night sky that move irregularly and that you cannot identify is probably not a reason for concern. We really don’t want people shooting at lights in the sky.
Irresponsible drone operation may require enforcement. FAA’s stated enforcement strategy is first to try to educate before moving on to fines. There no specific acts identified as felonies under part 107 but negligent operation causing significant damage or violation of restricted airspace would certainly be covered by other laws including laws applied to operation of larger aircraft.
Perhaps Coast Guard units need to be trained in the use of drone ID applications.
Use of Force: As we know, drones can be used as weapons and as they become more common place, there is more likelihood the Coast Guard will need to take them down for force protection, defense readiness, and Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security. The cutters of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) have been fitted with short range, high resolution, drone detection radars and what appear to be electronic countermeasures, so are getting some experience with drone detection, passive countermeasures, and possibly hard kill countermeasures as well.
The Coast Guard’s missions may require use of force. In some cases, electronic warfare may be sufficient. Directed energy weapons seem to hold promise, but 30mm guns with air burst ammunition and APKWS 70mm guided rockets have proven capability and provide additional capability against other threats.
USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) prior to departure for PATFORSWA. Small drone detection radars are visible low on the mast.
These provide a window into how the future Coast Guard might look and are perhaps the only real way the Coast Guard will actually be able to continue to do more with less.
USLHT Azalea, 31 December 1891, United States Lighthouse Service Tenders; National Archives photo
1905 “To evaluate its use in lighthouse work, radio equipment was installed experimentally on Nantucket Lightship in August of 1901. On December 10, 1905, while riding out a severe gale, Lightship No. 58 on the Nantucket Shoals Station sprang a serious leak. There being no recognized radio distress signal at that time, the operator could only repeatedly spell out the word “help”. Although no reply was received Newport Navy station (radio) intercepted the call and passed it on to the proper authorities. The lightship tender Azalea was dispatched to the assistance of Lightship No. 58, and upon arrival at the scene passed a towline. The long tow to a safe harbor began, but after a few hours it was quite evident that Lightship No. 58 was sinking. Azalea took off her crew of thirteen men only minutes before she sank. This pioneer use of radio had indeed proved Its worth in rescue operations.”
1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.
The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable sits moored to the pier during a Heritage Recognition Ceremony in Virginia Beach, Virginia, April 9, 2024. The Heritage Recognition Ceremony celebrated the Dependable, its current and past crew members, and its accomplishments, before it was placed in commission, special status. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen)
1981 A Coast Guard HH-52A landed on CGC Dependable’s flight deck, marking the 5,000th helicopter landing on board the cutter. According to Coast Guard aviation records, this was the most helicopter landings ever recorded on board a cutter. The landing occurred off Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico.
Original caption: “Gitmo airfield converted for 10,000 migrants”
1993 Secretary of Transportation Andrew H. Card, Jr., awarded the military members of the Coast Guard the Humanitarian Service Medal and the civilian employees the Coast Guard Public Service Commendation for their services during the Haitian migrant crisis from October 1991 through November 1992. During that period, a flotilla of over 27 Coast Guard cutters rescued 35,000 Haitian migrants from hundreds of overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.
1933 Prohibition came to an end on this date when the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
1963 CG-40597 completed a record run of 450 miles from Baltimore, Maryland to Boston, Massachusetts in a running time of 20 hours. The first of two prototype twin-screw 40-foot plastic utility boats, CG-40597, was powered by 350 HP Cummins VT-6 diesel engines and had a trial speed of 29 knots. Endurance at 25 knots was 200 miles.
FN Heriberto S. Hernandez
1968FN Heriberto S. Hernandez, a CGC Point Cypress (WPB 82326) crewman, was killed in action in Vietnam.
‘Aiviq’ at Tampa Ship’s Graving Dock #4 on November 28, 2024. (Source: GCaptain via tabasco44)
Coast Guard awards contract for commercially available polar icebreaker
Nov. 25, 2024 —
The Coast Guard awarded a contract on Nov. 20 to Offshore Service Vessels, LLC, of Cut Off, Louisiana, to acquire a commercially available polar icebreaker to supplement mission readiness and capability in the polar regions. The firm fixed-price contract, with a total value of $125.0 million, includes delivery and reactivation of the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker. The contract also includes provisions for technical data, spares, necessary modifications, certifications, crew training, and operational readiness activities.
The Coast Guard is procuring a commercially available polar icebreaker to increase operational presence in the Arctic while the service awaits delivery of the polar security cutter (PSC) class. Coast Guard polar icebreakers are highly specialized vessels that possess the endurance, resilience and capability to execute a wide range of maritime safety and security missions.
The contract action is the product of a disciplined effort to identify a domestically produced commercially available polar icebreaker through industry outreach and engagement. This approach was made possible through direction and statutory relief provided in the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 and funding appropriated in fiscal year 2024.
With minimal modifications, the commercially available polar icebreaker will be capable of projecting U.S. sovereignty in the Arctic and conducting select Coast Guard missions. The service will evaluate the vessel’s current condition and capability and identify requirements to attain full operational capability.
The Coast Guard intends to permanently homeport the vessel in Juneau, Alaska, and is planning infrastructure improvements to support future operations. In the interim, the service is evaluating options to temporarily homeport the commercially available polar icebreaker.
Acquisition of a commercially available polar icebreaker does not affect the acquisition of the PSCs, and the vessel will not be included in the PSC program of record. The Coast Guard needs a mix of eight to nine polar icebreakers to meet operational needs in the polar regions. The commercially available polar icebreaker will supplement these operational capabilities and provide much-needed operational presence in the near term as a bridging strategy to address maritime interests in support of national security until the full complement of PSCs is available.
1837 Two early complainants on the efficiency of the American lighthouses, E. and G.W. Blunt, publishers of the famous Blunt’s “Coast Pilot,” submitted a statement to the Secretary of the Treasury. They argued that the whole lighthouse system “needs revision, a strict superintendence and an entirely different plan of operation.”
U.S.R.C. “Richard Rush,” on her departure Jan. 2d, 1886, in search of the “Amethyst.” Photo credit: Isaiah West Taber (1830–1912)
1886USRC Rush made the service’s first drug seizure at sea, confiscating 350 lbs of opium from SS City of Rio De Janeiro near the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Only the opium was seized, as no connections to the ship’s owners, captain, or officers could be established. [The Nautical Beginnings of America’s War on Drugs, American History, November 17, 2019. https://www.historynet.com/online-exclusive-the-nautical-beginnings-of-americas-war-on-drugs/]
4 May 1943 Mare Island, CA Starboard bow view during inclining experiment U.S. Navy photo 2558-43. Source: Jon Burdett
1920 The Navy minesweeper USS Swan (AM-34, later AVP-7) ran aground on Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts. Coast Guardsmen from three nearby stations rescued the minesweeper’s crew with a breeches buoy. CGC Androscoggin assisted in the rescue. USS Swan was refloated 22 Feb. 1921 and went on to assist in the search for Amelia Earhart and was present during the Attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 and claimed to have shot down a enemy aircraft. She was decommissioned 1946 but was still in existence in 1988. Fate unknown.
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