NEW YORK, New York (Sept. 11)–A Coast Guard rescue team from Sandy Hook, NJ, races to the scene of the World Trade Center terrorist attack. USCG photo by PA2 Tom Sperduto
Real Clear Defense reminds us why we need a National Coast Guard Museum and ask for additional help in building it.
Maximum sustained wind speed and minimum pressure of Hurricane Harvey (2017), Data source: NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT, HURRICANE HARVEY, NOAA
USCGC MUNRO
How much time should we reasonably expect a cutter to be at sea? It is a reasonable question, since, generally, time spent in port is not mission time.
How do we compare with similar services?
The Coast Guard standard for large cutters has been 185 days away from homeport annually, but that includes times in port or being repaired if it is done “away from homeport.”
We get a pretty regular readout on US Navy ships from the US Naval Institute’s Fleet and Marine Tracker that indicates US Navy ships are underway about a quarter of the time, but this includes both combatants (USS) which tend to be more complex and maintenance intensive than large cutters and auxiliaries (USNS) that are much simpler than combatants. While the USNI does not provide a specific breakdown the USNS ships clearly spend much more time underway than the combatants. That is not necessarily bad since a combatant’s primary mission is to prepare for war and that can happen inport as well as underway, but the Navy constantly complains that their combatants are overworked while on average, cutters do spend much more time underway annually than Navy combatants.
The Royal Navy OPVs rotate crews and appear to spend very long periods deployed and apparently a high number of days per year underway.
SeaWaves recently reported on the “thirtieth anniversary of its armament and its first colors ceremony” of the French Frigate La Fayette. (It was commissioned in 1996) Classed as a frigate, this class, of 25 knot, diesel powered ships was built without any ASW capability, and was in many ways comparable to Hamilton class WHECs. They also performed many of the same functions.
“… La Fayette has taken part in all the operational missions of the Navy, distinguishing herself in particular in the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean and the fight against drug trafficking.”
The SeaWaves report provides a data point on how much time this particular ship spent underway.
“In 30 years, the La Fayette has thus carried out 3,107 days at sea and the equivalent of 21 round-the-world trips, carried out 33 operational deployments on all the seas of the world, visited 55 countries in 266 stopovers or even contributed to the seizure of more than 10 tons of drugs.”
That is 103.6 days/year underway. Even if we only count the 27 years since her commission and include the underway time prior to commissioning that would be 115 days per year. Sounds like cutters probably compare favorably.
How much time do large cutters spend underway? Congress has asked this question and I don’t think it was ever answered. It is certainly a statistic we should know. The Coast Guard has nothing to be ashamed of and much to be proud of.
USCGC Forward (WMEC 911) and Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Holland (P840) steam in formation for a transfer of contraband cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean Nov. 4, 2022, presumably a previous patrol. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Amy Rodriguez)
Below is a news release found on United States Coast Guard News. Generally, it is pretty normal drug interdiction news release.
I did kind of question this.
Throughout the patrol, Forward held approximately 4,700 pounds of cocaine on deck worth an estimated $81 million. Forward intercepted three suspected narcotics smugglers earlier this month and held nine others throughout the patrol. On Tuesday, the crew conducted a further offload to partner agencies in Port Everglades, Florida.
Nowhere does it say how long the patrol was other than “multi-week,” kind of important and not something we can keep secret. Why would prisoners be transferred on board a cutter that has just arrived? The service has been criticized in the past for holding prisoners on board for long periods in conditions that are considered by many to be inhumane. I won’t get into that, but it does seem we would want to get them ashore as quickly as possible. Maintaining custody of prisoners is a strain on the ship that it is not designed or billeted for.
Also, there is an error in the news release I cannot let pass.
Part of this effort included international partnerships with the HNLMS Holland (P840) of the Royal Netherlands Navy and other U.S. military vessels, including USCGC Campbell (WMEC 909), USCGC Margaret Norvell (WPC 1105), and USS Little Rock (CL 92).
USS Little Rock (CL 92) is a museum ship moored in Buffalo, NY, a Cleveland class light cruiser first commissioned in 1945, converted to a guided missile cruiser, she was decommissioned in 1976. I am pretty sure they intended to reference USS Little Rock (LCS-9). We need to do better. If you don’t know the proper designation, just leave it off. Can’t imagine how they made this mistake, unless they just googled USS Little Rock and saw a designation without reading anything about the ship it was associated with.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the USCGC Forward (WMEC 911) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, Saturday, following a multi-week training exercise and counterdrug deployment in the central Caribbean Sea.
While underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Forward traveled more than 6,000 miles conducting counterdrug operations as part of a multi-faceted approach to combatting illicit narcotics trafficking across maritime borders.
Part of this effort included international partnerships with the HNLMS Holland (P840) of the Royal Netherlands Navy and other U.S. military vessels, including USCGC Campbell (WMEC 909), USCGC Margaret Norvell (WPC 1105), and USS Little Rock (CL 92).
Throughout the patrol, Forward held approximately 4,700 pounds of cocaine on deck worth an estimated $81 million. Forward intercepted three suspected narcotics smugglers earlier this month and held nine others throughout the patrol. On Tuesday, the crew conducted a further offload to partner agencies in Port Everglades, Florida.
“The crew lived up to our namesake ‘Ever the Sentinel’ and was ready to take on any mission,” said Cmdr. Staci Rutsch, Forward’s commanding officer. “Forward’s crew demonstrated the Coast Guard’s resiliency and adaptability by maintaining proficiency in interagency and international operations while upholding the ability to meet the nation’s maritime demands. I am truly impressed and thankful for their devotion to duty.”
Forward is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s list of mission sets include law enforcement, search and rescue, protection of living marine resources, homeland security and defense operations, international training and humanitarian operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit http://www.GoCoastGuard.com to learn more about active duty and reserve officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found at http://www.uscga.edu. For more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Sea, Air Space 2023 was conducted April 3,4,5. Naval News has provided three videos which I have embedded below. Accompanying each video there is also an outline of the subject matter and a time stamp that will allow you to go directly to subjects of specific interest.
The things I thought might be of particular interest to the Coast Guard included:
The Mk38 Mod3 presentation discusses available upgrades to the systems which include the 30mm gun with air burst ammunition, greater ammunition capacity, greater elevation, and improved software for engaging air targets. Seems, at the very least, these should be applied to the PATFORSWA Coast Guard systems.
In addition, you may also want to take a look at the Navy Leagues own videos which provide a taste of the speakers’ presentations and an overview of the program’s objectives.
USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752), left, and the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG-85) maneuver in formation during Talisman Sabre 2019 on July 11, 2019. US Navy Photo
I am just passing this along in hopes that one of my readers might be interested. The deadline is coming up fast. The original source is here.
What can the U.S. Coast Guard do today to be more effective tomorrow? All topics are welcome, and no issue is too big or too small. Authors might consider:
Consider how to make the Coast Guard stronger. This does not mean authors cannot be critical and take on “it’s always been done that way” practices. In fact, we encourage you to push the “dare factor.”
First Prize: $5,000
Second Prize: $2,500
Third Prize: $1,500
The Proceedings staff members will evaluate every essay and screen the top essays to a special Essay Selection Committee of at least six members who will include two members of the Naval Institute’s Editorial Board and four subject experts. All essays will be judged in the blind—i.e., the Proceedings staff members and judges will not know the authors of the essays. Since we receive so many submissions (more than 100 per month!), notification of acceptance on one of our platforms can take 4-6 months. We will notify you via email if your essay is selected for a prize or for publication.
Winners will be published in the August 2023 Proceedings.
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The USCGC Mohawk (WMEC-913), here with the Ecuador Navy offshore patrol vessel Isla San Cristobal, was the first cutter to anchor and visit Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
U.S. COAST GUARD
The March issue of US Naval Institute Proceedings is the annual Naval Review Issue, and as always they have a recounting of Coast Guard activities. It may be behind the pay wall, but you really should be a member. It is worth a look if only as a reminder of how many irons we have in the fire.
Photo of a model of Halter Marine’s Polar Security Cutter seen at Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space 2021 Exhibition have surfaced. Photo credit Chris Cavas.
The Navy League’s annual maritime exposition, Sea-Air-Space 2023, is scheduled for April 3-5, 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. National Harbor, Maryland.
The Coast Guard will be well represented. In addition to featured presentations by the Commandant, LANTAREA, and RAdm Jay C. Vann, Commander of CG Cyber Command, CG-9 has a list of 14 Coast Guard presentations (scroll down the linked page) scheduled for the Coast Guard booth, #107, with additional descriptions. Topics, presenters and times are:
Monday, April 3, 2023
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
MSC Anna arrives in San Francisco Bay, April 15, 2020. Photo: Port of Oakland
Do yourself a favor and read John Konrad’s gCaptain editorial.
It is a call to action and a reminder how important coast guards are.
Above is a video of the Commandant’s State of the Coast Guard. It’s definitely worth a listen. I think I am becoming a fan.
Sounds like she is proceeding with procurement of a Great Lakes Icebreaker.
The Coast Guard is getting Coast Guard doctors (vs Public Health Service).
Three new teams are being stood up: a talent management task force, a data analytics team, and a West Coast cyber protection team.
Looking at the newly available option of passing going before a promotion board, when an officer has to make that decision, it would be good to know what instructions are being given to the promotion board.
In fact, why does failure to be promoted automatically mean you are out? Shouldn’t it be the service’s decision whether the officer should be retained. Perhaps an automatic continuation board for those who are not promoted with the option of permitting continued service.
“Sigmaglide 2390 fouling release coating has a super-smooth, near friction-free surface when immersed in water” –PPG
PPG (NYSE: PPG) has launched a biocide-free fouling release coating that, it says, uses a breakthrough approach to help shipowners lower power consumption and carbon emissions and meet demands for higher performance with no adverse impact on the marine environment.
Called PPG Sigmaglide 2390, the coating is based on PPG’s HydroReset technology. This modifies the coating when it is immersed in water to create a super-smooth, almost friction-free surface that marine organisms do not recognize and cannot adhere to.
This almost certainly a PPG news release, but if true, it is potentially very significant. Let’s hope so.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 