The Drive reports on a new rifle sight that is much more than just a sight. You pick the target and when the weapon is on target, the rifle fires.

Obviously the PATFORSWA patrol craft have a Counter-UAS mission, but we have not seen any hard kill C-UAS system. This might work, though the range is relatively short.

This also looks like it could be useful for Coast Guard special teams as well, for something like a hostage situation, and perhaps for airborne use of force.

Wonder if you could get it to work on a .50 cal.?

All of Birdon’s production activities will take place at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La. Birdon America photo

One of our readers, Andy, brought this WorkBoat article, which has much more information about the team of organizations that will be building the Waterways Commerce Cutters and where they will be built.

Birdon is building on its experience and expertise in program management, design, manufacture, and support of the USCG and U.S. Army watercraft programs, by teaming with carefully selected partners. Bollinger Shipyards (Bollinger) and Incat Crowther will be key subcontractors to Birdon and share Birdon’s commitment to delivering for the USCG. The entire delivery team will work under Birdon’s integrated, standardized leadership model, which is proven across numerous multiple-site projects in the U.S. and abroad.

Alaska and the Bering Strait

Reuters reports,

Two Russians fleeing military service have claimed asylum in the United States after arriving by boat in Alaska, authorities said on Thursday.

Does this mean we are going to have to start doing Alien Migrant Interdiction in the Bering Straits?

SeaWaves reports,

Sri Lanka Navy officially took delivery of the EX-United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Douglas Munro, provided by the United States, on 26th October 2021. Subsequently, she was designated with the Pennant Number P 627 in SLN Fleet and underwent certain modernization equipped to suit the operational needs of the Sri Lanka Navy. The ship departed for Sri Lanka from the Port of Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022.

Sri Lanka now has three former US Coast Guard cutters, two 378s, Sherman and Douglas Munro, and a 210, the former USCGC Courageous.

Wikipedia has a listing of where the 378s are now.

Coast Guardsmen from Port Security Unit 307 conduct seaward security for Department of Defense assets and personnel at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, April 25, 2022. During the nine-month deployment, unit operations focused on maritime defense, providing more than 30,000 hours of around-the-clock waterside and shore side anti-terrorism and force protection. U.S. Coast Guard by photo by Lt. Cmdr. Glenn Sanchez.

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

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Members from Coast Guard Port Security Unit (PSU) 307 returned home to Clearwater Oct. 3 following a nine-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

During the deployment, unit operations focused on seaward security, providing more than 30,000 hours of around-the-clock waterside and shore side anti-terrorism and force protection defense security to Department of Defense assets and personnel at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

Thinking about the drenching Clearwater got during Hurricane Ian, these people may be coming home to a real mess. But welcome home. I am sure you have been missed.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) cuts a channel through the multi-year pack ice and snow as Healy transits the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole, September 27, 2022. This is the third time the icebreaker has traveled to the North Pole since its commissioning in 1999. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Deborah Heldt Cordone, Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist 1.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy reaches the North Pole

Editor’s note: Click on images to download high resolution version.

NORTH POLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) reached the North Pole Friday after traversing the frozen Arctic Ocean, marking only the second time a U.S. ship has reached the location unaccompanied, the first being Healy in 2015.

Healy, a medium icebreaker, and crew departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Sept. 4, beginning their journey to reach latitude 90 degrees north. The cutter and crew supported oceanographic research in collaboration with National Science Foundation-funded scientists throughout their transit to the North Pole.

This is the third time Healy’s traveled to the North Pole since its commissioning in 1999.

“The crew of Healy is proud to reach the North Pole,” said Capt. Kenneth Boda, commanding officer of the Healy. “This rare opportunity is a highlight of our Coast Guard careers. We are honored to demonstrate Arctic operational capability and facilitate the study of this strategically important and rapidly changing region.”

Healy is currently on a months-long, multi-mission deployment to conduct oceanographic research at the furthest reaches of the northern latitudes. The 420-foot icebreaker is the largest ship in the Coast Guard and is capable of breaking through four-and-half feet of ice at a continuous speed of three knots.

Healy, which departed its Seattle homeport on July 11, currently has thirty-four scientists and technicians from multiple universities and institutions aboard, and nearly 100 active duty crew members.

During the cutter’s first Arctic leg of the patrol throughout July and August, Healy traveled into the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, going as far north as 78 degrees. As a part of the Office of Naval Research’s Arctic Mobile Observing System program, Healy deployed underwater sensors, sea gliders and acoustic buoys to study Arctic hydrodynamics in the marginal and pack ice zones.

In addition to enabling Arctic science, Healy also supported U.S. national security objectives for the Arctic region by projecting a persistent ice-capable U.S. presence in U.S. Arctic waters, and patrolling our maritime border with Russia.

On their second Arctic mission of the summer, while transiting to the North Pole, Healy embarked a team of researchers as a part of the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS). SAS is an international collaborative research program focused on using specially equipped research vessels from around the world to gather data throughout the Arctic across multiple scientific disciplines. Dr. Carin Ashjian, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, is currently serving alongside Dr. Jackie Grebmeier as co-chief Scientists onboard Healy with support from the National Science Foundation.

“We are excited to reach the Pole!” said Ashjian speaking on behalf of the embarked science party. “We have little information from the ocean and seafloor at the top of the world so what we collect here is very valuable. It also fills in data from a region, the western Central Arctic, which was not sampled by other ships in the SAS. Our joint efforts with the Healy crew are producing important science results.”

After deploying a series of scientific equipment to collect valuable data at the North Pole, crew members and the science team were granted ice liberty. During this time, they enjoyed taking pictures and posing with a “North Pole” that had been erected on the ice. Healy also used the unique setting to advance two crewmembers and conduct a cutterman ceremony for three crewmembers who each recently achieved the career milestone of five years of sea service.

Coast Guard Academy during the 141st Commencement Exercises May 18, 2022. The Coast Guard Academy graduated 252 new officers along with nine international students. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Mr. David Lau)

Below is a press release. For some reason it did not come with the usual header identifying point of origin, just the email address, U.S. Coast Guard  uscoastguard@service.govdelivery.com. Nice to see some emphasis on professional development.

It talks about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification but does not say what that is. There is an explanation here. 

Media Advisory: U.S. Coast Guard Academy to commission the Maritime Center of Excellence

Who: U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association

Speakers available for comment:

• Rear Adm. Bill Kelly, 42^nd Superintendent of USCGA
• Andrea Marcille, President of USCGA Alumni Association
• Greg Mella, Vice President, Corporate Director of Sustainability and Principal Architect, SmithGroup
• Tilak Subrahmanian, Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility, Eversource
• Bob Laurence, Manager, Energy Efficiency, Eversource

What: A behind the scenes look at the Maritime Center of Excellence (MCOE), prior to the official opening ceremony at 4 p.m.

Why: The MCOE is the first LEED-certified major construction project to update the Academy’s 90-year old campus. Its presence will transform the landscape of the waterfront campus, and help young women and men from across the country develop a liking for the sea and its lore.

Where: USCGA waterfront 31 Mohegan Ave., New London, CT 06320

When: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022 at 1p.m.

How: All interested media should contact USCGA Public Affairs at cga-public-affairs@uscga.edu or (860) 857-5544 by Tuesday, Oct. 11 at noon.

A valid ID will be required for entry onto campus.

SeaGiraffe AMB radar. AN/SPS-77

The showed up on the DOD “Contracts For Sept. 30, 2022.” It is in reference to the Sea Giraffe AMB radar, which has the U.S. designation AN/SPS-77

Saab, Inc., Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $15,002,000 firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract for Multi-Mode Radar production for the United States Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (60%), and Gothenburg, Sweden (40%) and is expected to be completed by April 2025. Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,101,480 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the needs of the agency. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-22-C-5530).

I found previous reports of procurement of this system for the OPC program in 20217, 2018, and 2019, but none for 2020 or 2021. This is probably for the fourth OPC. The April 2025 delivery date sounds about right, since the fourth OPC will probably not be delivered until 2026. 

This radar also equips all Independence class Littoral Combat Ships and at least some of the Expeditionary Sea Base shps.

An air control variant is expected to equip Nimitz class aircraft carriers and America- (LHA) and Wasp- (LHD) class amphibious assault ships.

This type radar also now equips two of the former USCG Hamilton class 378 foot cutters. All three Philippine 378s are expected to be so equipped.