The first image of the new ship circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo on November 22.
Naval News reports initial information on a new design stealthy small surface combatant, estimated to be 97 meters (318′) in length with a beam of 14 meters (46′). The report suggests the vessel will be 2,000 to 3,000 tons.
Coast Guard Cutter Spencer approaches the pier at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore. Service life extension program work on the medium endurance cutter will last 15 months. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Below is a news release from the Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9). Included is a statement that USCGC Campbell will be the next WMEC to undergo SLEP. Check out the video linked below.
Workers at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore remove a 27-ton main diesel engine from Coast Guard Cutter Spencer. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Charles Lortz, In-Service Vessel Sustainment Project Residence Office Baltimore.
On Nov. 8, personnel at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore achieved a milestone in the 270-foot medium endurance cutter service life extension program (SLEP) by safely removing the two main diesel engines from Coast Guard Cutter Spencer. The engines each weigh 54,000 pounds – or 27 tons – and this is the first lift of this weight that has been conducted at Coast Guard Yard in more than a decade. This also is the first time Yard personnel have removed an engine from a 270-foot medium endurance cutter.
To gain the necessary access, workers removed the extendable aircraft hangar and cut through two decks. View a time-lapse video of the process here.
While Coast Guard Cutters Seneca and Harriet Lane served as prototypes for the electrical and structural work and installation of a new gun weapons system, Spencer is the first Coast Guard Famous-class medium endurance cutter to receive all major SLEP work items, including replacement of the main diesel engines. The SLEP work will sustain the cutters’ capabilities, enabling them to meet mission needs until they are replaced by offshore patrol cutters. This program is part of the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) Program, the Coast Guard’s strategic class-by-class evaluation of its vessels to determine what major maintenance and upgrades are necessary for each class of cutters to reach or extend their service lives.
Spencer has been in service since June 1986, and the original engines provided nearly 90,000 hours of operational service prior to their removal.
As the next phase in the SLEP, two new ALCO 251 engines will be installed. The engines removed from the Spencer will be remanufactured by Fairbanks Morse Defense and installed on the next medium endurance cutter to go through the SLEP, Coast Guard Cutter Campbell.
Coast Guard Yard is the service’s sole shipbuilding and major repair facility and part of the Coast Guard’s core industrial base and fleet support operations.
For more information: In-Service Vessel Sustainment Program page
INS Sumedha (P58) en-route to Bangladesh 9 March 2021. Photo credit: Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
INS Sumedha is on an Extended Range Operational Deployment and is currently operating in the Atlantic Ocean along the West Coast of Africa. During this period, INS Sumedha operated in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) undertaking a 31 days anti-piracy patrol. This is the second such patrol being undertaken by the Indian Navy in this crucial maritime region. The maiden GoG Anti piracy patrol was undertaken by INS Tarkash in Sep – Oct 22.
This is a new effort by the Indian Navy. US Coast Guard WMECs have been doing similar capacity building in the same area. We might be able to coordinate our efforts.
Photo credit: German Federal Police
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has signed a contract with German company Fassmer to acquire four new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs)…The ships are based on an OPV design operated by the German Bundespolizei (Federal Police). Furthermore, they are designed with high maneuverability to operate in Singapore’s congested waters.
In a comment, a reader, Katoult, who I see provided the photo above, pointed me to an even better article on the topic at Naval News, thanks.
I have a lot of respect for Singapore’s decision makers. They are very tech savvy and, like the US, cannot depend on cheap labor in large numbers. I am a bit surprised they did not use a version of their Littoral Missions Vessel design for this mission. This is the fourth nation to choose a Fassmer OPV design. It does appear to be a bit more seaworthy and incorporates a hangar that the Littoral Missions Vessel does not include. I think we will see unmanned systems operating from these ships.
The Philippine military said three navy vessels, two FA-50 light combat aircraft and an A-29B Super Tucano light attack plane would participate, while the United States would send a littoral combat ship and a P8-A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Perhaps significantly, unlike the photo above, on both sides, the units are not coast guard.
The USNI has additional information here https://news.usni.org/2023/11/21/u-s-philippines-begin-three-days-of-joint-patrols-in-the-south-china-sea.
Below is a D14 news release. Another step in the formation of an international fisheries enforcement alliance.
U.S. Coast Guard District 14
HONOLULU – The U.S. Coast Guard has concluded Operation Kuru Kuru, an annually held comprehensive two-week operation in the Pacific region, highlighting the Coast Guard’s commitment to supporting international partners in the region.
Operation Kuru Kuru, executed from 22 Oct. to 3 Nov. 2023, is a collaborative effort with the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, aimed at countering Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing across the region.
The operation encompasses a wide array of objectives, including enhancing cooperative surveillance engagement between participating nations, conducting boarding activities at sea to combat IUU fishing, and utilizing remote sensing information to drive intelligence-led operations. This operation covers a combined area of 15 participating Pacific Island Country exclusive economic zones and the adjacent high seas pockets, approximating 8.2 million square miles, an area more than twice the size of the continental United States.
“The U.S. Coast Guard’s presence and contributions to Operation Kuru Kuru underscore our commitment to regional security and disaster response,” said Cmdr. Andrew Williams, enforcement branch chief for U.S. Coast Guard District 14. “We are honored to stand alongside our international partners as we work together to address challenges that impact the Pacific region.”
While engaged in the region, the Coast Guard offers a host of mission capabilities, including proactively supporting search and rescue operations, humanitarian aid, and air and vessel surveillance to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing across the region.
During this operation, a Coast Guard C-130 based out of Coast Guard District 14’s Air Station Barbers Point, responded to a request from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Fiji to perform search and rescue operations in and around the Nonouti Island, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati. The C-130 was then rerouted following Tropical Cyclone Lola’s impact on Vanuatu to conduct post-storm assessments throughout the South Pacific island chain surrounding Vanuatu. These assessments were integral in gauging the extent of damage caused by the cyclone and facilitating the coordination of relief efforts.
Despite the operational challenges posed by Tropical Cyclone Lola, the C-130 was able to conduct aerial surveillance fishery patrols within the EEZs of Fiji, Tonga, American Samoa, and Vanuatu, providing several crucial observation reports to partner nations.
“Operation Kuru Kuru highlights the Coast Guard’s partnership with Pacific Island nations and how these collaborative efforts are vital in our mission to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing.” said Rear Adm. Michael Day, commander of U.S. Coast Guard District 14. “Together, we can protect our oceans, preserve marine resources, and ensure sustainable fisheries for future generations while addressing additional challenges that impact the Pacific region.”
Through operations like Operation Kuru Kuru, the Coast Guard remains dedicated to serving and safeguarding the international community, addressing IUU fishing, and responding to humanitarian crises. It reinforces the importance of multilateral cooperation and regional security to protect the resources and well-being of Pacific nations.
The Coast Guard is responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and environmental protection of the Pacific region. Its core missions encompass search and rescue, law enforcement, fisheries protection, and humanitarian assistance across a vast and diverse area of operations.
At about $30,000 each APKWS is a low-cost way to provide a precision counter to a number of threats.
We have already seen reports of the 70mm APKWS guided rocket being used against relatively small Class 2 unmanned aerial systems.
A close-up of the modified CROWS II, a small remote weapons system mount, fitted with the LAND-LGR4 launcher and the added sensor or other system (silver/gray rather than tan). US Army
Here we have a better picture of how the system might be deployed on the PATFORSWA Webber class patrol craft.
The PATFORSWA cutters already have the air search/detection or “hunter” part of a C-UAS system. Reportedly their Mk38 systems have been upgraded to 30mm capable of firing airburst munitions that can provide close in UAS kill capability. Adding a CROWS II RWS with LAND-LGR4 launcher and a laser designator mounted on the O-1 deck, above and behind the Mk38, would allow them to begin engaging UAS and other threats at triple the effective range of the 30mm.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, left, visits the Coast Guard Academy on Oct. 13, 2023. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Bacon/U.S. Coast Guard)
Defense News reports the Secretary of the Navy has initiated an attempt to improve commercial shipbuilding in the US by coordinating the efforts of all the federal agencies that fund ship construction including the Navy, Army and Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“He said the council will meet quarterly but that staff-level meetings will take place more regularly. The group will first establish metrics to measure their success and write and sign a charter to explain their mission.”
There are potentially many topics of interest, hopefully shipbuilders will be asked for their input as well. “How can we streamline the process?” Survivability requirements that drive up size and cost should be looked at for at least some classes.
I would propose a pilot project, development of a true small surface combatant, optimized as an ASW escort to protect sea lines of communication, that could be built in second line shipyards, in large numbers if required for mobilization and that could be a dual service ship, used by both the Navy and Coast Guard in peacetime with perhaps different weapons outfits. It might also serve as a design for foreign military sales.
Such a ship should be capable towing a towed array ASW sensor and operating an ASW helicopter like the MH-60R and a VTOL UAS capable of complimenting ASW search functions of both the ship and helicopter.
It should be possible to keep the size of such a ship under 4,000 tons. The Gibbs and Cox proposal for a light frigate for Australia might be a good starting point.
The Australian Light Frigate (foreground) and Constellation class (background) on the Gibbs and Cox stand during Indo Pacific 2023.
USCGC POLAR STAR departs for Operation Deepfreeze, Nov. 16, 2023. US Coast Guard photo.
Below is a news release from Coast Guard news.
SEATTLE – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed Seattle, Wednesday, and are scheduled to transit to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze.
Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) is an annual joint military mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). This marks the 27th year for the Polar Star to render support.
Each year, the Polar Star crew breaks a navigable channel through ice, allowing fuel and supply ships to reach McMurdo Station, which is the largest Antarctic station and the logistics hub of the USAP.
“Operation Deep Freeze is a unique and important mission that Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star undertakes each year,” said Capt. Keith Ropella, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “This mission requires year-round effort from the crew to prepare this 47-year-old cutter for the 20,000 nautical mile round trip and extreme environmental conditions we will face. We have an incredible and dedicated team; I couldn’t be more excited or more proud to make this journey with them.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet to ensure continued access to the polar regions and to protect the country’s economic, environmental, and national security interests. Each year, the crew is asked to put forth an immense amount of time and effort to prepare the cutter for their annual deployment in support of ODF. The Polar Star completed the third of five planned phases of the service life extension project (SLEP), costing $15.6 million over a 132-day maintenance period.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is pleased to continue partnering with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Antarctic Program to enable a durable U.S. presence on Antarctica and across the Southern Ocean,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area commander. “Our commitment to the Antarctic region is unwavering, and we have been pleased to increase our maritime cooperation with like-minded members of the Antarctic Treaty, as well as investing in new technologies and vessels to ensure our presence is enduring.”
Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica, provides Department of Defense support to the NSF and the USAP through ODF. Every year, a joint and total force team works together to complete a successful ODF season. Active, Guard, Reserve service members from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy work together to forge a strong JTF-SFA that continues the proud tradition of U.S. military support to the USAP. The U.S. Coast Guard provides direct logistical support to the NSF and maintains a regional presence that preserves Antarctica as a scientific refuge.
Above is one of a series of “What is Going on With Shipping?” videos done by Salvatore Mercogliano. Most are not directly Coast Guard related, but this one is spot-on.
Additional Comment
We did talk about this earlier, “Coast Guard adjusts operations plan to mitigate 2024 workforce shortage” –MyCG
It should be noted that this is not because we have reduced the number of afloat billets, it is because the workforce has not grown as rapidly as the number of billets.
Also, we are not greatly reducing the number of ships compared to historic numbers or the “Program of Record,” The program of record was to provide 8 NSCs, 25 OPCs and 58 FRCs for a total of 91. With these changes we will have 10 NSCs, 23 WMECs, and 55 to 57 FRCs for a total of 88-90 and up to 98 or more as all 65 FRCs currently funded are delivered.
The problems are that the 210s should have been replaced decades ago and demand for Coast Guard assets has increased. The Missions we are doing with the FRCs in the Western Pacific should really be being done by a ship with better seakeeping and endurance and facilities for a helo and UAS, something like “Cutter X.”
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