“US Coast Guard Cutter James’ commanding officer permanently relieved” –LANTAREA

Posted on by
1

NSC 5 James on builders trials in the Gulf of Mexico March 30, 2015.

Some sad news, and, how badly was the James damaged?

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area

US Coast Guard Cutter James’ commanding officer permanently relieved

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Capt. Marc Brandt was permanently relieved of duties as the commanding officer of USCGC James (WMSL 754), Monday.

Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, effected the permanent relief due to a loss of confidence in Brandt’s ability to command the cutter. 

Brandt was temporarily relieved on Aug. 26, 2022, pending the results of an investigation into a mishap. The investigation found that on Aug. 8, 2022, James ran aground while underway causing damage to the cutter. No personnel were injured.

Capt. John Driscoll assumed temporary command of the cutter following Brandt’s relief and will remain in command until a permanent commanding officer is assigned.

Brandt has been temporarily assigned to Coast Guard Atlantic Area.

James is a Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, with a crew of 148 personnel. NSCs are the Coast Guard’s most technologically-advanced cutters in the fleet.

“Bollinger to acquire Halter Marine and STEHMO” –Marine Log/Polar Icebreaker Progam in Trouble?

Posted on by
7

Photo of a model of Halter Marine’s Polar Security Cutter seen at Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exhibition have surfaced. Photo credit Chris Cavas.

There are two closely related posts here that are significant for the Polar Security Cutter (heavy icebreaker) program. The first is an announcement that Bollinger is acqiring VT Halter and ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore, Inc from Singapore’s STE. The second article is from Forbes by industry observer Craig Hooper, published shortly before the announcement. It reports that, it appears VT Halter underbid the PSC contract and was headed for a disasterous loss. The schedule of delivery has slipped more than once. VT Halter has still not started cutting steel for the ship more than three years after the contract award.

I can’t say this is exactly good news, but solutions begin by recognizing you have a problem. We have had a series of warning signs and at least now there seems to be a change in management to a team with a proven track record.

“Loitering Munition Strikes Ukrainian Gunboat, A First In Naval Warfare” –Naval News

Posted on by
2

Naval News reports a Ukrainian Gyruza-M-class patrol boat

Gyurza-M-class gunboat. Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

has been hit by a Russian Lancet Loitering Munition.

ZALA Lancet, side view, Photo by Nickel nitride

The Ukrainian gunboat seems to have been pretty well armed.

We have talked about Loitering Munitions before:

These could be the answer to the Coast Guard’s need to be able to defeat small, highly manueverable, high speed surface threats.

They also extend the range at which non-state actors might be able to engage Coast Guard units.

“Report: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Efforts” –GAO, Report by gCaptain

Posted on by
2

The FV Scandies Rose arriving in Kodiak, Alaska, in an undated photo. The fishing vessel sank off Alaska’s Sutwik Island in 2019, with the loss of five of seven crew members. Source: Gerry Cobban Knagin via NTSB

gCaptain reports,

The GAO report concluded that the while the Coast Guard does make efforts to promote commercial fishing vessel safety, including through conducting dockside exams, engaging with industry, and collaborating with other federal agencies, it has yet to fully implement 17 of 22 statutory requirements enacted over the 10-year timeframe.

Plus there is a lot more.

“Ukraine’s New U.S. Supplied Combat Boats Already Patrolling Black Sea” –Naval News

Posted on by
3

Metal Shark 40 Defiant

Naval News reports,

6 U.S. Navy type patrol vessels have recently been supplied to Ukraine. These are already active in the Black Sea where they face a much more powerful adversary in the Russian Navy. But the Ukrainian Navy is building a reputation as an effective asymmetric force.

These are the same 44 foot patrol boats the Navy has been buying.

Previous discussion of other boats being transferred to Ukraine here.

How Hard Is It to Sink a Ship With Gunfire?

Posted on by
Reply

I have made a point of trying to illustrate how hard it is to sink a ship, even a small ship, with gunfire. My most popular post, “What Does It Take to Sink a Ship?,” takes a statistical look at the USN WWII combat losses, and I have published other posts that have looked at this question.

This was to show how inadequate the armament of Coast Guard cutters is, if they are ever called upon to forcibly stop a mediium or large vessel with a determined crew.

What we have, in the video above, is an illustration of the damage that was done to a very tough, but relatively small US Navy destroyer, with a determined crew, that fought agressively against Japanese destroyers, cruisers, and battleships including the Yamato with its 18″ guns which hit the little ship three times.

In this battle, despite very long odds, actually more than half of the small ships survived. Of the six escort carriers (CVEs), three destroyers (DDs), and four destroyer escorts (DEs), five CVEs, one DD, and three DEs survived the assault by four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and eleven destroyers.

For comparison, Fletcher class destroyers like USS Johnston typically had a full load displacement of 2,924 tons, less than two thirds the size of the NSCs and OPCs or about 50% larger than a 270.

 

Chinese F/V Attempts to Ram USCGC James –AP

Posted on by
3

In this photo made available by the U.S. Coast Guard, guardsmen from the cutter James, seen at background right, conduct a boarding of a fishing vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, on Aug. 4, 2022. During the 10-day patrol for illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing, three vessels steamed away. Another turned aggressively 90 degrees toward the James, forcing the American vessel to maneuver to avoid being rammed. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

The Associated Press is reporting,

“…a heavily-armed U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed up to a fleet of a few hundred Chinese squid-fishing boats not far from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Its mission: inspect the vessels for any signs of illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing…But in this case, the Chinese captains of several fishing boats did something unexpected. Three vessels sped away, one turning aggressively 90 degrees toward the Coast Guard cutter James, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action to avoid being rammed.”

Of course there is much more to the story.

“HMS Medway, U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Seize Cocaine in Caribbean” –Seapower

Posted on by
6

HMS MEDWAY and her embarked US Coastguard Law Enforcement team interdicted a vessel carrying over 400kg of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea, 29 Sep 22. Initially spotted by a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the ship chased down the boat before the Coastguard boarding team discovered the drugs and detained three individuals. The operation, which lasted overnight, then concluded with the vessel being sunk by Medway’s weapons systems.

A hat tip to our Royal Navy friends. The Navy League’s on line magazine, Seapower, reports,

A Royal Navy ship and U.S. Coast Guard boarding team seized more than 400 kilograms of cocaine worth around £24m on Britain’s streets from a boat in the Caribbean, the U.K. Ministry Of Defence said in an Oct. 28 release.

HMS Medway is a River Class Batch II Offshore Patrol Vessel. The Coast Guard would probably call her a medium endurance cutter. They have a relatively small crew and are faster than Coast Guard WMECs or the Offshore Patrol Cutters currently building.

There is no indication they operated with an embarked helicopter. Operating in the Caribbean they would have had adequate fixed wing support. They have a large helicopter landing area but no hangar. The helicopter in the illustration is a very large one, a Merlin, with a max take off weight of over 32,000 pounds.

The gun on these ships is the same gun and mount as the new Mk38 Mod4.

Former USCGC Douglas Munro Makes Its Way to Sri Lanka

Posted on by
4

Seawaves reports on the delivery voyage of the former USCGC Douglas Munro on its way to Sri Lanka. As in previous cases you can see that the air-search radar, Phalanx CIWS, and 25mm guns have been removed while the 76mm Mk75 gun and Mk92 fire control system remain.

As reported by Wikipedia, this is the 11th  of the 12 ships of the class to be handed over to a foreign navy or coast guard. In most cases, they are the largest units in their new parent organization. Using their former names, their distribution is as follows:

Philippine Navy:

  • Hamilton
  • Dallas
  • Boutwell

Nigerian Navy:

  • Chase
  • Gallatin

Sri Lankan Navy:

  • Sherman
  • Douglas Munro

Vietnam Coast Guard:

  • Morgenthau
  • John Midgett

Bangladesh Navy:

  • Rush
  • Jarvis

The only one of the class that remains is Mellon which is expected to go to Bahrain.

Sri Lanka has also been operating the former 210 foot, Medium Endurance Cutter USCGC Courageous since 2005.

“Ukraine Unleashes Mass Kamikaze Drone Boat Attack On Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Headquarters” –The Drive

Posted on by
4

Russian frigate Admiral Makarov

The Drive reports, it appears Ukraine made a mass attack of unmanned air and surface craft on Russia’s primary naval base in the Black Sea, Sevastopol (Ukraine is not claiming responsibility). There seems to be confirmation from Russia that minor damage was done to a minesweeper, but other reports indicate a relatively new frigate, the Admiral Markarov, serving as flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, may also have been damaged. Video in the report shows a very close approach to a frigate of the same class, apparently by an unmanned surface craft before the video ends abruptly.

Russia is also claiming that the UK was involved in the planning of the attack.

While unlikely, how to defend against such  attacks probably should be in the Coast Guard’s skill set. Force protection and harbor defense are potential missions.