Based on a Wisconsin Public Radio report, it sounds like the Coast Guard authorization bill has been stalled in the Senate over a provision that would have given the Coast Guard sole responsibility for ballast water regulation, taking the EPA out of the business of regulating this potential source of invasive species.
The US Naval Institute News service has a report on the Commandant’s appearance before Congress, Tuesday, apparently April 17. (The Commandant did not wait until the last minute to prepare his taxes like I did.)
The commentary seems to suggest there is the possibility of a block buy for all three Heavy Polar Icebreakers.
He discusses not only the Icebreakers but also the budget in general, importation of narcotics, both cocaine and other types, and the need to restore the strength of the Coast Guard Reserve.
The Commandant also reportedly put in a plug for ratification of the UN Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
There is a misstatement in the report. ” He said Russia is now building two corvettes for its navy to add to the far northern operations of its Border Guard’s 44 icebreakers already in operation, giving it the largest maritime presence in the north.” However it was originally stated, the Russians may have 44 icebreakers, but they do not all belong to the Border Guards–the Russian equivalent of the Coast Guard. I doubt the Commandant would have made that mistake.
The GAO has issued a report on the progress of the Coast Guard and Navy’s joint efforts to procure new Heavy Polar Icebreakers.
The format seems to be a little different. This is a pdf, but instead of scrolling down, you page right (or left) at the edge of the screen. All total there are 41 pages, but most of it is in, what looks like, PowerPoint format.
Thanks to Bryant’s Maritime Blog for bringing this to my attention.
3-View line drawing and dimensions of MQ-1B Predator UAV, – Department of the Air Force, Engineering Technical Letter (ETL) 09-1: Airfield Planning and Design Criteria for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 28 Sept 2009
The Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) web site has three links that provide information presented at the Navy League’s 2018 Sea-Air-Space Symposium.
USCG 83 ft patrol boat, probably June 1944. Photographer unknown.
“…all our surface vessels need a combat survivor evader locater (CSEL) radio on the bridge, so there is no delay in reporting the need for rescue. Ideally, all surface vessel lifeboats should be equipped with a CSEL as well. Even without new combat rescue aircraft, we need to start training better with the ones we have and incorporate assets such as the LCS, ESB, and EPF into fleet combat rescue events.”
Escanaba rescuing survivors from USAT Dorchester. USCG Image.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Kelley.
BreakingDefense brings a report of the Commandant’s remarks at the Defense Writers’ Breakfast. He expresses concern that the budget success for FY 2018 and 2019 may be an anomaly.
If you think the competition for budget dollars is intense today, Zukunft warned reporters at a Defense Writers’ Group breakfast, “it’s going to be even more competitive tomorrow.”
There is discussion of shortages of Operations and Maintenance funding, the shore side facilities backlog, and the icebreaker program.
Types of Naval mine.A-underwater,B-bottom,SS-Submarine. 1-Drifting mine,2-Drifting mine,3-Moored Mine,4-Moored Mine(short wire),5-Bottom Mines,6-Torpedo mine/CAPTOR mine,7-Rising mine–by Los688
Earlier I suggested that LCS Modules, manned my Navy Reservists, might provide a mechanism that could cut mobilization time for Cutters from months to weeks. I also noted,
There are very few Navy mine counter measures assets in the US and those we have are not spread out geographically. If there were to be a peacetime mining incident in US waters, it might be possible to airlift an MCM module to the nearest cutter to allow the problem to be dealt with more quickly.
The US Naval Institute News Service has provided access to the “Littoral Combat Ship Mission Package Annual Report,“ and there is a note included that addresses this possibility. Nine Mine Countermeasures Mission Packages (MCM MP) are to be provided “for use on other Vessels of Opportunity (V OOs) to meet the warfighting capability requirements and account for MCM maintenance cycles.”
If there is a mining incident at a US port, the air and, in some cases, the unmanned surface vessel portion of the package could be operated from shore. Those portions that might need to operate from a ship could possibly be operated from buoy tenders or other cutters, not just the large patrol cutters.
We probably ought to be exercising this once the MCM MPs become available.
US Naval Institute has a report on a panel discussion on the Arctic held as part of the annual Sea-Air-Space Symposium. Read it here.
DefenseNews has a report on Vice Commandant Adm. Charles D. Michel’s remarks at the Sea-Air-Space symposium. Read it here.
MarineLog brings us some details of the new Norwegian Icebreaker/Research vessel Kronprins Haakon which has been moved from Fincantieri’s Integrated shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, Italy, where the bulk of the construction took place, to Fincantieri Group member Vard’s Langsten shipyard in Norway, where it will be completed. Apparently it is behind schedule.
It may not look like it, but it has a hangar for two medium size helicopters.
Length over all (LOA): 100,0m (328′)
Breadth: 21,0m (69′)
Draft: 8.5 m (28′)
Gross tonnage: 10900T
Maximum cruising range of approx. 15.000 nautical miles
Endurance 65 days at cruising speed
Designed to operate in winter ice with pressure ridges and multi-year ice
Accommodation for 55 persons in 38 cabins (15-17 crew).
There is space for 20 containers (20′)
“…project was said to have a total value of about 175 million Euros” ($215M–Chuck)
This looks like something that might evolve into our medium icebreaker. Might also make a pretty good Great Lakes icebreaker. 10,000 KW propulsion makes it about 50% more powerful than the USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30). Of course Marinette Marine, which is also a division of Fincantieri, and the yard that built the Mackinaw, would probably be happy to build one or more–and the ship is narrow enough to pass the Saint Lawrence Seaway locks. .
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 