“Vietnam Christens ex-USCGC Mellon as CSB 8022” –SeaWaves

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SeaWaves Magazine reports that the former USCGC Mellon has been officially transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard. This is the last of the twelve to be transferred to a foreign navy or coast guard and the third for the Vietnam Coast Guard which also has former USCGC Morgenthau and Midgett.

The Philippine Navy also has three 378s, former USCGC Hamilton, Dallas, and Boutwell.

The Nigerian Navy has former USCGC Chase and Gallatin.

The Bangladesh Navy has former USCGC Rush and Jarvis.

Sri Lanka has former USCGC Sherman and Munro.

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 24

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 24

1914  Congress authorized the Secretary of Treasury to “detail for duty on revenue cutters such surgeons and other persons of the Public Health Service as…necessary” and for cutters with such medical personnel aboard to extend medical and surgical aid to crews of American vessels engaged in deep sea fisheries.  This Act of Congress (38 Stat. L., 387) regularized procurement and assignment procedures of Public Health Service personnel to revenue cutters, launching a partnership between the two services that continues to this day.

1930  An Act of Congress provided “that light keepers and vessel officers and crews, who during their active service were entitled to medical relief at hospitals and other stations of the Public Health Service, may be given such relief after retirement as is now applicable to retired officers and men in other branches of the Government service, under joint regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce.”

1938  Under an Executive Order of this date, “about 35 positions of steward on lighthouse tenders were brought under the classified civil service.”

USCGC Juniper (WLB-201)

1995  CGC Juniper was launched, the first of the new 225-foot Juniper Class buoy tenders.

USCGC Juniper (WLB-201) and USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) patrol the waters of American Samoa

Where Should Our Shipbuilding Program be Going?

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Keel Laying for OPC#3 hull number 917, July 2022. Presumably future 915 is to the right and future 916 to the left.

The recent cancellation of NSC#11, suspension of work on OPCs 3 &4, an FRI regarding towing something that sounds like an OPC–probably OPC#1, the President’s oft repeated desire for 40 icebreakers, the Force Design 2028 call for “A More Agile, Capable, Responsive Fighting Force,” and the significant changes in geopolitical environment all suggest a course change is in the offing for Coast Guard shipbuilding.

Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC): 

The contract for long lead time items for NSC#11 was announced at the same time as contracts for construction of OPC#1 and long lead time items for OPC#2--Sept. 2018.

It does appear more progress was made on OPC #2 than was made on NSC #11 but the fact that we still have not seen any evidence of Argus, OPC #1, on sea trial is very troubling. This is the primary reason I believe the FRI for towing and assessment is for OPC #1. If that is the case, then what will happen to OPC #2? It appears that the hull maybe complete (see the photo above). The RFI may just be for the first such tow.

The combination of ten NSCs and a few OPCs should give us more than enough large high endurance cutters to do legacy missions that the Hamilton class WHECs used to do, but while OPCs can do anything the old WMECs could do, the Coast Guard never intended to build one for one replacements, and perhaps most importantly they are not the type of ships required for the currently increasingly hostile geopolitical environment.

OPCs are much larger than the WMECs they are replacing and therefore expensive, in fact, displacement even increased substantially after the initial contract award, but the additional size has not given us corresponding much larger capabilities with regard to law enforcement, national defense, or even Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security.

The Coast Guard will want to continue to build OPCs until an alternative design is completed, but the search for an alternative should begin immediately. We certainly should be contracting for construction of a different design by FY2030. I expect the OPC program to be truncated at 10 to 15 ships.

It should have been unrealistic to expect that the Coast Guard would be building OPCs for over two decades, but that is what happened with the NSCs. I am not sure it was wise to extend procurement of ten ships over two decades without any significant redesign.

Fast Response Cutters (FRC):

To some extent, the success of the FRCs has made up for the reduced number of larger cutters. The Coast Guard has been using them more like medium endurance cutter than like the preceding Island class patrol boats. They definitely are not being used as “fast response cutters,” sitting in port waiting for a call.

Still there are missions where greater endurance and seakeeping are essential or at least highly desirable. The Coast Guard is probably building more FRCs than they would have if a true medium endurance cutter design had been readily available.

This class has been a bright spot. The original plan was to build 58, 64 when the six for PATFORSWA were added. It now looks like a total of at 70 will be operational. Under normal circumstances that would probably be considered enough, but with the delays to the OPC program, an ever increasing demand signal, and increasing difficulties supporting over-age MECs we may see even more. It is not ideal, but it is the cutter we can have near term.

USCGC Webber was commissioned over 13 years ago. It is time to develop a mid-life refresh to make these little ships more capable. They need a capability against unmanned systems and an ability to forcibly stop ships regardless of size. There have been small running changes that have improved their endurance. There are probably other things that could be done to provide greater endurance.

Future classes:

Contracts have been let for three Polar Security Cutters. There was a Request for Information (RFI) in April as a first step toward procuring Arctic Security Cutters.

So far, I have seen no steps toward a replacement for the 87 foot WPBs, though some are essentially being replaced by 154 foot Fast Response Cutters and 45 foot Response Boat-Mediums (RB-M).

We were told the OPCs would be a bridge between the larger NSCs and the smaller FRC, but they turned out to be very nearly as large as the NSCs and almost as expensive.

We certainly need more than 35 large cutters, but they don’t all have to have the extreme endurance of the NSCs and OPCs.

To make an informed decision, the first step should be to make the new Fleet Mix Study public and ask for feedback. I am certain it would immediately justify at least one new class of cutters if not more.

In addition to the Polar Security Cutters (heavy polar icebreakers), Arctic Security Cutters (medium icebreakers), offshore patrol cutters, and Webber class patrol craft, we may need.

  • a true medium endurance cutter, preferably one adaptable to wartime missions. It might be built in cooperation with the US Navy as a prototype for a low cost, rapidly producible ASW escort that could use containerized systems.
  • an Arctic Offshore Patrol Cutter
  • a true fast response cutter, a better armed replacement for the 87 foot WPBs in important ports, capable of forcibly stopping a ship regardless of size and providing point defense against unmanned air and surface craft.
  • a small but very seaworthy replacement for the 87 foot WPBs in minor ports. These could be additional larger heavy weather MLBs like the ones being procured to replace 52 foot MLB.

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 23

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 23

View of Boston Light, 1729, Boston Public Library

1716  The Province of Massachusetts authorized the erection of the first lighthouse in America. “This bill named the location for the light as the southern part of Great Brewster Island, then called Beacon Island, and today known as Little Brewster Island.“

Boston Light at sunset
NPS Photo/G. Sager

1817  The cutter Active forced a South American privateer posing as an armed merchantman to leave the Chesapeake Bay and American waters.

USCGC Comanche former USRC Windom

1895  USRC Windom was launched.  She was the service’s first attempt at “modern” ship construction and was designed by the Coast Guard’s Engineering Division, complete with in-house staff naval architects and engineers.  Windom was the first cutter to have a modern powerplant, in this case a triple-expansion steam engine, and a fully watertight hull with transverse and longitudinal bulkheads.  She was capable of making a top speed of 15 knots.

USCGC Nike (WPC-112); late WWII outfit. no caption/number; photographer/date unknown.

1934  CGC Nike departed on a thousand-mile trip to the sea after it became the Coast Guard’s first patrol boat built on an inland waterway.  It was built at Point Pleasant, West Virginia and was launched into the Ohio River after being christened by Mrs. Charles O. Weisenberger, wife of the president of the Marietta Manufacturing Company which built Nike.  The cutter was bound for Pascagoula, Mississippi to replace the recently decommissioned cutter Tuscarora, which itself had been in service for over 35 years.

1939  Congress created the Coast Guard Reserve which later became what is today the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 22

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 22

1818  Boarding parties from the Revenue cutter Dallas seized the privateer Young Spartan, her crew, and the privateer’s prize, the Pastora, off Savannah, Georgia.  The crew of the Pastora had been set adrift and their fate remained unknown.  The New York Evening Post noted that the crew of the privateer had committed offenses “that can only be expiated by making their exits on the gallows.” (July 3, 1818 issue).

1936  Congress passed an act to define jurisdiction of Coast Guard.  In one of the most sweeping grants of police authority ever written into U.S. law, Congress designated the Coast Guard as the federal agency for “enforcement of laws generally on the high seas and navigable waters of the United States.”

World War II-era Temporary Reserve Recruiting Poster. Photo by Capt. Bob Desh, U.S. Coast Guard retired

1940  Port Security responsibilities were undertaken again for the first time since World War I when President Franklin Roosevelt invoked the Espionage Act of 1917.  The Coast Guard was to govern anchorage and movement of all vessels in U.S. waters and to protect vessels, harbors, and inland or coastal waterways of the U.S.  The Dangerous Cargo Act gave the Coast Guard jurisdiction over ships with high explosives and dangerous cargoes.

1948  Congress enacted Public Law 738, which authorized the operation of floating ocean stations for the purpose of providing search and rescue communication and air-navigation facilities, and meteorological services in such ocean areas as are regularly traversed by aircraft of the United States.

Commandant’s inspection and where 82-footers tie up at Da Nang, Vietnam. (ADM E. J. Roland, USCG, and Assistant Sec. Reed) 24 July 1965. USCG photo by PH1 Nichols

1965  Coast Guard forces in Vietnam fired their first shot of the war when LT John M. Cece, commanding CGC Point Orient, gave the order to “commence fire” while patrolling the 17th Parallel.  The cutter was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One.

“Point Orient was assigned to Division 12 of Squadron One to be based at Da Nang, along with USCGC Point Arden, USCGC Point Caution, USCGC Point Dume, USCGC Point Ellis, USCGC Point Gammon and USCGC Point Welcome. After sea trials, the Division left Subic Bay for Da Nang on 16 July 1965 in the company of USS Snohomish County, their temporary support ship. After almost two weeks at sea, they arrived at their new duty station on 20 July and began patrolling the coastal waters near Da Nang. Duty consisted of boarding Vietnamese junks to search for contraband weapons and ammunition and check the identification papers of persons on board. Permanent engineering and logistic support of Division 12 was provided by a U.S. Navy non-self-propelled floating workshop, YR-71. Point Orient became the first Coast Guard unit in Vietnam to engage the enemy on 24 July 1965 after being fired on from the shore by machine guns and mortars while attempting to board a junk. She returned fire but the results were unknown. During this time, the WPB’s were directed to paint the hulls and superstructures formula 20 deck gray to cover the stateside white paint. This increased the effectiveness of night patrols.”

Lt. (j.g.) Beverly Kelley, first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, on the bridge of the 95-foot cutter Cape Newagen. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

1977  Secretary of Transportation Brock Adams introduced Ensign Beverly G. Kelley and Boatswain’s Mate 3/c Debra Lee Wilson during a press conference as two of 12 women who had been assigned to sea duty.  “This is the first time in Coast Guard history that women have been sent to sea.”   Both women had orders to report to the Morgenthau later that year.

The Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC 630) conducts an engagement coincidental to operations with members of the Guatemalan Navy August 23, 2022, five miles south of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. The engagement to strengthen law enforcement and search and rescue capabilities with our partners in Guatemala included joint pursuit training with two Guatemalan small boats, and a search-and-rescue exercise with the Guatemalan vessels Kukulkan and the Kaibil Balam. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo.

1982  The first successful hostage rescue at sea occurred when a combined Coast Guard/FBI boarding party deployed from CGC Alert took control of the 890-foot Liberian-flagged motor tanker Ypapanti.  The incident began on May 16, 1982 when the Ypapanti anchored off the entrance to Delaware Bay after it was denied entrance to U.S. waters by COTP Philadelphia, due to the lack of required safety equipment aboard.  Initially the CGCs Hornbeam, Active, and Point Franklin responded.  After the situation stabilized, Active and Point Franklin departed while Hornbeam stood by the tanker to monitor the situation and to act as on scene commander; she was relieved on May 29 by Alert.  During the next few days the tanker’s crew mutinied and seized control of the tanker from the master in a wage dispute.  After a prolonged period of unsuccessful negotiations and threats by the crew to kill various officers and to set fire to the vessel, the Alert went alongside the tanker on June 22, 1982.  A senior Coast Guard negotiating team went aboard to present one last wage/repatriation offer to the crew.  When this offer was rejected a combined Coast Guard/FBI boarding team went aboard from the Alert and took control of the Ypapanti without injury.  The vessel was then returned to the control of the master and 12 loyal crewmen.  Twenty-four mutineers were detained on board the Alert and were transferred to the custody of the INS in Cape May.

The Reliance Class Cutter USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621) underway on a routine fisheries patrol in the Gulf of Mexico.

2020  The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Valiant (WMEC 621) returned home to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Monday after completing a 9-week patrol conducting operations in the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba in support of Coast Guard 7th District and Operation Southeast Watch.  Valiant patrolled over 11,000 nautical miles in the Caribbean, working closely with the Navy and Coast Guard Cutters Diligence (WMEC-616), Resolute (WMEC-620), Kathleen Moore (WPC 1109), William Trump (WPC 1111), and Raymond Evans (WPC 1110). Valiant increased Coast Guard presence along the northern coasts of Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Windward Passage, working to prevent an anticipated surge of illegal immigration and human smuggling amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. Throughout this patrol, Valiant served as the Cutter Tasking Unit, directing all Coast Guard assets supporting Operation Southeast Watch in the Windward Passage. In order to deter an illegal exodus from Haiti, Valiant maintained an overt presence by frequently transiting the Canal de la Tortue, a heavily trafficked, deep-water passage between the Tortuga Island and the Northern Haitian coastline.

The USCGC Bear (WMEC 901) approaches the pier in Portsmouth, Virginia, Monday. Bear returned home following a 74-day deployment to the northern Atlantic Ocean where crew members conducted living marine resources enforcement to ensure federal regulations compliance in U.S. waters, and the crew also took part in the Canadian Armed Forces-led, multinational naval exercise Operation Nanook. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Hillard)

2023  CGC Bear (WMEC 910) returned home to Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, VA, on 22 June 2023, following a 65-day Caribbean Sea patrol. While underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Bear conducted six counterdrug interdictions and seized a total of 8,558 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $97 million. Bear conducted counterdrug operations as part of a multi-faceted approach to combatting illicit narcotics trafficking across maritime borders. Part of this effort included other Coast Guard assets, a Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron aircrew from Jacksonville, Florida, and a deployable specialized forces unit from the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team. Bear also conducted vertical replenishment with the U.S. Navy vessel Little Rock (LCS-9). Little Rock deployed its SH-60 Seahawk helicopter and crew to successfully deliver 5,566 pounds of seized cocaine to Bear’s flight deck. Bear moored in Miami, last Friday, 16 June 2023, and offloaded the combined 14,153 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $186 million.

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 21

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 21

Coast Guard Cutter 16, an 83-foot wooden patrol boat assigned to Coast Guard Rescue Flotilla One, sits out of the water in Poole, England, in 1944. On D-Day, the crew of CGC-16 saved the lives of 126 Allied troops, more lives than any other vessel present that day. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

1944  Cutters 83415 and 83477 assigned to Rescue Flotilla One wrecked off coast of Normandy, France during a storm – no lives were lost.  This is the storm that wrecked the artificial harbor constructed by the Allies off the coast of Normandy.

US Coast Guard 83-foot rescue boat CGC-16 transferring wounded troops to USS Joseph T. Dickman APA-13 off of Normandy France at 0930 local time on D-Day – June 6, 1944
One account; “The relatively small cutter could only hold about 20 wounded men at a time, and double that number were often taken aboard. But in one instance, 140 men shared 1,000 square feet. Casualties and unwounded survivors crammed the forecastle, pilot house, and engine room, and those incapable of going below lined the deck topside, side by side. Walking wounded were jammed into the tiny crew’s quarters and piled into bunks in three tiers of four.”
LIFE Magazine Archives – Ralph Morse Photographer

SN Ina J. Toavs

1979  SN Ina J. Toavs was awarded the Coast Guard Medal, the first woman to receive the award.

ector North Bend (AOR) encompasses 220 miles of shoreline extending from Pacific City, Oregon, south to the California border, west to the 50nm offshore, and east to the I-5 corridor.

2013  Coast Guard Group/Air Station North Bend, located out of North Bend, Oregon, was officially renamed Sector North Bend, “to match the Coast Guard standards of mission support and execution.”  Group/Air Station North Bend was the final “legacy group in the Coast Guard to be transitioned under the multi-year sector modernization effort.”

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 20

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 20

1874  An Act of Congress provided for lifesaving stations on the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, as well as on the Great Lakes and the Pacific Coast.

1874  The first Life Saving Medal enactment was passed, which was updated in 1878 and 1882.  Ship masters were also required to report accidents and death in order to gather data to aid in evaluating sites for search and rescue stations.

1906  Congress passed the Sponge Fishing Act and directed that the Revenue Cutter Service enforce it.

1918  An Act of Congress (40 Stat. L., 607, 608) changed the designation of Lighthouse Inspectors, who were in charge of the 19 lighthouse districts, to that of Superintendents of Lighthouses.

25 May 1963 — The first of the new class of 210-foot cutters, USCGC Reliance (WPC-615, later WMEC-615), was christened at Todd Shipyard, Houston, Texas. The wife of the Commandant at the time, Mrs. Edwin J. Roland, was the sponsor for the cutter. A news report published at the time noted: “The CGC RELIANCE, to be stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas, marks a significant milestone in the building program of the Coast Guard as it is the first cruising cutter of any size built for Coast Guard service in almost twenty years.”

1964  CGC Reliance, the first of the Coast Guard’s new 210-foot medium endurance cutter class, was commissioned.

North Vietnamese 100′ Trawler burns on a South Vietnamese beach after being forced ashore by USCGC POINT LEAGUE, on 20 June 1966. It was carrying an estimated 250 tons of supplies for the Viet Cong. USN 1116663

1966  CGC Point League attacked and crippled a North Vietnamese junk attempting to run the Navy’s Market Time blockade.  The action continued into the next day as the junk stranded itself on the shore and its crew fired a demolition charge, destroying their ship.

USCGC Point League (WPB-823304) forces North Vietnamese trawler aground near Ba Song, RVN, 20 June 1966.

German Navy Adopting 30x173mm Air Burst Weapons / So Should the Coast Guard

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The new Mark 38 Mod 4 30mm naval gun system on display on MSI Defence stand at Sea Air Space 2022. Photo: Naval News

Army Recognition’s Navy News reports,

“…on 11 June 2025 … a public tender released via the official German e-procurement platform marks the beginning of a strategic modernization effort in the German Navy’s close-range defense capabilities. In a context where drones and asymmetric threats are playing an increasingly prominent role in contemporary conflicts, the Bundeswehr is initiating a structural transformation of its naval weapons systems.

“At the core of this reform is the introduction of a new 30×173 mm caliber, intended to progressively replace the currently deployed 27 mm light naval guns. This development aims to improve effectiveness against light aerial targets, especially drones, but also surface and land-based threats, by using programmable airburst munitions. The doctrinal shift reflects operational requirements and signals a lasting change in the defensive posture of German naval vessels.”

The gun that is being replaced is in some respects a better weapon than the 25mm the Coast Guard currently uses. It fires a heavier projectile, over a greater distance and has a much higher rate of fire, but apparently they have decided that an airburst projectile is necessary to deal with the drone threat.

The Coast Guard should probably come to the same conclusion. It now appears that an attack by unmanned air or surface craft is the most likely form of terrorist attack. Air burst projectiles are the best available, reasonably priced, hard kill systems for both self-defense and close in force protection.

Unlike the German Navy, the 30x173mm round is already in service with the US Navy and is expected to arm the Polar Security Cutter.

The new large cutters are getting 57mm guns which should be effective, but the FRCs are the units most likely to encounter this threat. The 30 mm would also be more effective against larger threats. We have been told that it is possible to replace a few parts and upgrade existing 25mm mounts to 30mm mounts. If so, we should be doing this.

Austal Launches First Steel Ship / Good News for OPC Program?

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Future USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), June 2025

Below is an Austal USA news release,

Hopefully, this success suggests the Austal portion of the Offshore Patrol Cutter program will move along faster than the Eastern portion.

This ship, the future USNS Billy Frank, Jr. is the first in the second phase of procurement of a planned class of ten. The first five were contracted to Gulf Island Fabrication. The shipyard and the contract passed to Bollinger, 19 April 2021.

Austal got their contract for up to five in October 2021 (FY2022).

These are simpler ships than the OPCs, costing less than $80M each, but their full load displacement is actually more than that of the OPCs. The rate of progress seems to bode well for the OPCs. Billy Frank was laid down 14 November 2023 and launched 14 June 2025, 17 months later.

Certainly the Independence class trimaran Littoral Combat Ships that Austal has been building for 20 years are at least as complex as the OPC, and the last one, USS Pierre (LCS-38) went from keel laying to launch in only 14 months. We can’t expect construction of the first OPC to go that quickly, but for later ships it might be possible.

Two of the Bollinger ships are reportedly completed, but I have seen no indication they are  in service yet. The first took 41 months from laid down to launch, the second took 52 months to reach the same milestones. The third and fourth Bollinger built ships had keels laid in 2022 but have yet to be launched.

But were they late?:

It appears that the Austal contract actually anticipated faster delivery than we are seeing.

“The projected delivery for T-ATS 11 is in early FY 2025, with one more ship delivering in FY 2025, and two ships delivering in FY 2026.”

The Bollinger contract anticipated a slower delivery,

“The projected delivery for T-ATS 6 is in FY 2026, with follow-on Bollinger ships delivering each subsequent FY.”

Offshore Patrol Cutters: 

Austal got the Phase II contract for up to eleven OPCs in June 2022 and began building their first OPC in late August 2024. With Austal completing their last LCS, I hope to see rapid progress on OPCs #5-15.

JUNE 18, 2025

AUSTAL USA LAUNCHES FIRST STEEL SHIP FUTURE USNS BILLY FRANK JR. (T-ATS 11)

MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA successfully launched the company’s first steel ship, the future USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), on June 14.  Named after a native American Korean War veteran who, as an activist, fought for justice and environmental preservation in the Northwest United States, Billy Frank Jr. is a Navy Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship – one of 3 under construction at Austal USA and the first steel product of the company’s state-of-the-art automated steel panel line.

“It was amazing to see the flawless rollout of our first steel ship,” said Harley Combs, vice president of surface ship programs. “The completion of this milestone is the result of the hard work and dedication of our talented workforce.  I am so proud of all they have accomplished.”

At 3,100 metric tons, T-ATS 11 is the heaviest ship Austal USA has launched to date. The launch was executed using the proven process used to launch most of the 32 Navy ships the company has built and delivered to the Navy over the last 15 years.

T-ATS will provide ocean-going towing, salvage and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. T-ATS will be a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing U.S. Navy ships and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems. The large, unobstructed deck allows for the embarkation of a variety of stand-alone and interchangeable systems. The T-ATS platform will combine the capabilities of the retiring Rescue and Salvage Ship (T-ARS 50) and Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF 166) platforms. T-ATS will be able to support current missions including towing, salvage, rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, and wide-area search and surveillance. The platform also enables future rapid capability initiatives such as supporting modular payloads with hotel services and appropriate interfaces.

With the ship over 85 percent complete at the time of launch, the future USNS Billy Frank Jr. will now prepare for her next major milestone, engine light off, as she gets ready for sea trials and delivery.

This Day in Coast Guard History, June 19

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Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

June 19

1845  The Secretary of the Treasury had Lieutenants Thornton A. Jenkins and Richard Bache detailed from the Navy and sent abroad to procure information that might tend to the improvement of the lighthouse system of the United States.  Subsequently, when the Secretary submitted the report of these two naval officers and asked that a board be appointed to consider thoroughly the matter of lighthouse improvements.  No legislative action resulted.

1876  The first Gold Life Saving Medals ever awarded were presented to private citizens Lucien M. Clemens and his brothers Hubbard M. Clemons and Al J. Clemons.  On May 1, 1875 the Clemens’ brothers “displayed the most signal gallantry in saving two men from the wreck of the schooner Consuelo” in an open rowboat.  Five others on board the schooner perished when the schooner capsized in the heavy seas “with the wind blowing a gale from the northeast” before the brothers arrived on scene.  The medals were awarded by the Treasury Department.

1992  In a joint operation with INS, the Coast Guard assisted in the seizure of the 167-foot Belize-registered freighter Lucky No. 1, her 15-man crew, and 117 illegal Chinese migrants that were aboard.  The seizure took place off Oahu.

2008  The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an ORBCOMM concept demonstration satellite, equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) capability, from Kapustin Yar, Russia. The satellite attained a proper orbit was expected to start transmitting operational data within the next three months. The U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) Project sponsored equipment on the satellite to test the feasibility and effectiveness of AIS message reception and reporting from space for ship tracking and other navigational activities. The NAIS project improved maritime domain awareness for the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security by using the integrated network of AIS equipment and user interface services that display and exchange AIS-equipped vessel information for maritime safety and security.  Data collected by the NAIS supports the nation’s maritime interests by promoting vessel and port safety through collision avoidance, and through detection, traffic identification, and classification of vessels out to 2,000 nautical miles from shore.

October 4, 2022, Rochelle Park, NJ – ORBCOMM Inc., a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract by a U.S. Government Agency for a competitive renewal of its global Automatic Identification System (AIS) data services used for ship tracking and other maritime navigational and safety efforts. In addition, ORBCOMM was awarded a separate competitive contract to deliver AIS services to multiple other U.S. Government users.

USCGC TAHOMA

2014  CGC Tahoma returned to its homeport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire after a 64-day deployment in the Caribbean Sea.  During the deployment, the 100-member crew of Tahoma worked under tactical control of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico, conducted flight operations, patrolled drug and migration, conducted sea boarding, and assisted in the transfer or repatriation of 26 Haitian migrants.  The crew also participated in training and law enforcement operations, migrant interdiction and counterdrug operations in support of Operation Unified Resolve, and conducted Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA).  The crewmembers completed a total of 148 drills and exercises, earning the prestigious Battle “E” for excellence in five areas of professional expertise.