“USS ST. LOUIS (LCS 19) COMPLETES MAIDEN DEPLOYMENT TO FOURTH FLEET” –SURFLANT / Freedom Class LCS Missions

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NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2025) – The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS St. Louis (LCS 19) makes her way back into the basin at Naval Station Mayport, Feb. 24, 2025. LCS 19 deployed in June of 2024 operating primarily in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandon J. Vinson)

Below is a US Navy Surface Forces Atlantic (SURFLANT) news release. The length of her eight month deployment is remarkable particular considering it is with the 4th Fleet (Latin America and the Caribbean). That she apparently made 8 months without a catastrophic breakdown seems to bode well for the health of this class after a history of mechanical problems.

Apparently she was employed in drug interdiction. She “embarked…U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) 105 and 407, disrupted and confiscated over $100 million worth of illicit contraband in five different operations…”

Undoubtably at least one of the LEDETs was embarked during exercise UNITAS 2024. We knew this included “U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET); and USCG Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRTE) Direct Action Section.”

Ever since the Navy decommissioned the last of their Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) class frigates in 2015, there has been speculation and anticipation that Littoral Combat Ships would be regularly employed to do the Drug Interdiction mission that the FFG had been doing. It seemed to make a lot of sense, particularly with regard to the Freedom Class ships, all of which are based in Mayport, Florida, near drug transit zones, but right now it still seems to be treated as an irregular filler mission rather than a primary.

By the end of 2025, the last two LCS, one Freedom class and one Independence class,  should be commissioned. The projected fleet is ten Freedom class, all based in Mayport, FL, and 15 Independence class, all based in San Diego. The Independence class (all of which have even hull numbers) have essentially taken on the Navy’s mine countermeasures mission. The Freedom class, with odd hull numbers, are now nominally devoted to anti-surface missions. What they are doing does not get a lot of visibility.

In 2018, ten years after the first LCS was commissioned, the question was, Will We Start Seeing LCS in SOUTHCOM?

In 2022 it seemed that four to six LCS might be assigned to 4th Fleet, “Could the LCS fleet be getting a new mission?” –Navy Times.

It’s not that the Navy is not doing anything, but commitments seem half hearted. Is this changing? With the new administration’s changed priorities, will they and Fourth Fleet start doing alien migrant interdiction?

24 February 2025–USS St. Louis (LCS 19), a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), returned to Naval Station Mayport this week, concluding its maiden deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). The eight-month deployment, which lasted from June 15, 2024 to February 24, 2025, marked a series of groundbreaking achievements that underscore the capabilities of the LCS platform and its growing contributions to naval operations.

While assigned to TASK FORCE 45/Destroyer Squadron 40, operating primarily in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, St. Louis, embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 Detachment 4, and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) 105 and 407, disrupted and confiscated over $100 million worth of illicit contraband in five different operations, significantly hampering the activities of transnational criminal organizations.

“From our first week in theater, the crew demonstrated its tactical acumen in locating and intercepting illicit traffickers. Most of these interdictions were conducted at night, requiring long days and late hours but the crew stayed immensely resilient. I am very proud of what the team accomplished,” said Cmdr. T.J. Orth, USS St. Louis’ Commanding Officer.

In August, St. Louis transited the Panama Canal and operated in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, making history as the first FRE-variant LCS to travel as far south as Valparaíso, Chile when she participated in the 65th iteration of UNITAS, the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise. Alongside naval forces from 44 countries, the ship showcased its capabilities in maritime interoperability, enhancing ties with partner nations and furthering regional stability.

After returning through the Panama Canal, St. Louis received new tasking to support U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force-Bravo as that command responded to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti. St. Louis served as a fueling station and Search and Rescue force for 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment (AVN REGT) UH-60 Blackhawks conducting evacuations out of Haiti. To prepare, St. Louis and 1-228th AVN REGT conducted more than 50 deck landings. This successful integration expanded the ship’s operational versatility, paved the way for future joint missions, and underscored the potential for cross-branch collaboration in dynamic environments.

To wrap up USS St. Louis’ maiden deployment, St. Louis Sailors showed their flexibility and capacity to rapidly deploy in support of Joint Task Force Operation Southern Guard onboard U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sailors supported the expansion of the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) in preparing the MOC to receive up to 2,000 illegal aliens, erecting 50 tents and setting up several hundred cots in several days. Operation Southern Guard is highlighting effective interagency collaboration, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees the operation.

“We saw a lot of ‘firsts’ on this ship’s first deployment and it was amazing to see what this ship and crew was capable of. Looking back, this deployment demonstrated the growing potential for Freedom class LCS and the support they can provide not just in the Caribbean, but in the entire Fourth Fleet AOR,” said Cmdr. Lee Shewmake, USS St. Louis’ executive officer. “There were many lessons learned that the crew took to heart and put in practice as deployment went on, and I believe that is what enabled our success over the past seven months.”

“St. Louis demonstrated the great potential of the LCS Freedom class, not only in executing its assigned missions but also in breaking new ground for the community. The professionalism and dedication of this crew have laid a strong foundation for the future of LCS operations,” said Master Chief Roderick Bolton, St. Louis’ Command Master Chief. “USS St. Louis returns home with its crew proud of their achievements and eager to share lessons learned from this historic deployment. As the U.S. Navy continues to evolve, St. Louis has proven itself a capable and innovative platform, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

USS St. Louis’ maiden deployment to Fourth Fleet was a resounding success, marked by numerous milestones and contributions to naval strategy. The ship’s accomplishments highlight the flexibility and utility of the Littoral Combat Ship platform in tackling modern challenges.

This Day in Coast Guard History, February 26

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

February 26

Portrait of Hamilton authoring the first draft of the U.S. Constitution in 1787

1793  Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, submitted to the Senate the first official list of cutters with stations, officers’ names, rank, and dates of commission.

1984  Five people died, three were injured, and 22 rescued when the tanker American Eagle exploded 180 miles southeast of New Orleans.  An AIRSTA New Orleans HH-3 took the three injured crewmen ashore while a British tanker watched over the crippled ship until a commercial tug could arrive.  The next day the American Eagle started to break up and sink.  The 24 remaining crewmen abandoned ship.  Oil rig supply boats and a Coast Guard helicopter recovered 22.  The other two became the subject of an HU-25 search, but the SAR case was suspended after three days.

This Day in Coast Guard History, February 25

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

February 25

1799  Congress passed “An act respecting quarantines and health laws”, superseding the Act passed on May 27, 1796 (1 Stat. L., 619). The revenue cutters were again authorized to enforce quarantine laws.

USRC Eagle under full sail, in a painting by Patrick O’Brien. She was a topsail schooner, standard in revenue cutters of her period;

1799  Congress passed “An Act for the augmentation of the Navy” that authorized President John Adams to place the revenue cutters in the naval establishment.  This was done in response to the Quasi-War with France and it had the effect of “redefining the maritime character of the Revenue Cutter Service and making it a service with the dual character of a military establishment and of a maritime service” (Irving King, George Washington’s Coast Guard, p. 152).

1825  Congress empowered the Revenue Marine to enforce state quarantine laws.

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

1942  Wartime port security was delegated to the Coast Guard by Executive Order 9074.

2001 The tugboat Swift sank after colliding with the freighter A.V. Kastner on the Elk River in the upper Chesapeake Bay. USCG units from New Jersey and Philadelphia worked with state police and local rescue agencies to rescue three survivors.

2001  The tugboat Swift sank after colliding with the freighter A.V. Kastner on the Elk River in the upper Chesapeake Bay.  Coast Guard units from New Jersey and Philadelphia worked with state police and local rescue agencies to rescue three survivors.  Four crewmen perished.  The Coast Guard also conducted the marine casualty investigation.

“AKER ARCTIC SELECTED TO PROVIDE ADVANCED ICE LOAD MONITORING SYSTEM FOR FINNISH NAVY MULTI-ROLE CORVETTES” –Aker Arctic

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Below is an Aker Arctic news release. Frankly I didn’t know there was such a thing as an ice load monitoring system, but it sounds like something we would want on ships going into the Arctic or Antarctic. I presume it is monitoring the role rate (Tups do you have more info?)

Specs for the class have been updated since the graphic above:

  • Displacement: 4300 tons
  • Length: 117 m (384′)
  • Width: 16 m (52.5′)
  • Draught: 5 m (16.4′)
  • Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h)
  • Crew: 73

More on this new class of warships here and here.

Aker Arctic has been chosen to supply its state-of-the-art ice load monitoring system to the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command. The contract includes the delivery of Aker Arctic’s ARC ILMS ice load monitoring, measurement and analysis system for the series of four Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes currently under construction at Rauma Marine Constructions for the Finnish Navy.

The ARC ILMS is Aker Arctic’s platform for measuring loads that the ship’s structure experiences when operating in ice-cover waters, providing feedback to the operator on the safety level of the ship in ice.

“Following our recent successes being chosen to supply the ARC ILMS for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPV) (here–Chuck) and our collaboration with French cruise company Ponant measuring ice loads on the Le Commandant Charcot as she made her historic trans-Arctic voyage last summer, we are excited with the vote of confidence the Finnish Navy has put in us to supply our ARC ILMS to their important program” said Kari Laukia, Head of Equipment Business and Special Projects at Aker Arctic.

The contract builds on Aker Arctic’s long-term involvement with the Pohjanmaa-class. In addition to the ARC ILMS, Aker Arctic is supplying the ice-strengthened controllable pitch propellers and their pitch control mechanisms, propeller shafts, bearings and shaft seals. In addition to complete design, calculations and material supplies, Aker Arctic is also responsible for installation supervision and commissioning of the propulsion lines.

“Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak returns home following 37-day law enforcement patrol in American Samoa” –CG News

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A small boat crew assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) gets underway to conduct a boarding on a U.S. flagged fishing vessel near American Samoa Feb. 3, 2025. Due to American Samoa’s status as a U.S. territory, the Coast Guard has the authority to conduct boardings in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding the territory, which extends up to 200 nautical miles offshore. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Samuel Carrol)

Below is a news release from Coast Guard News. This is a bit unusual in the small size of the unit involved, a 353 ton, 154 foot long patrol craft and in the location and duration of the patrol.

This seems to make more likely suggestions that we will see Fast Response Cutters like this one based in American Samoa in the future. If previous basing patterns are followed, we should expect three.

Feb. 23, 2025

Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak returns home following 37-day law enforcement patrol in American Samoa

HONOLULU – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) returned home to Honolulu Saturday following a 37-day territorial integrity patrol along the U.S. maritime border in American Samoa.

The Joseph Gerczak crew departed Coast Guard Base Honolulu in January and traveled more than 7,300 nautical miles spanning from the Hawaiian Islands to American Samoa.

The crew patrolled the U.S. territorial maritime border and safeguarded the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding American Samoa, which extends up to 200 miles offshore.

During the patrol, the crew conducted boardings on two U.S.-flagged fishing vessels to ensure the territorial integrity of the U.S. maritime border and deter any threat of illicit trafficking. The crew also ensured the safety of the U.S. fishing fleet by reviewing the vessels’ documentation, examining the captains’ permits and inspecting the vessels’ required safety equipment, fishing gear and, when applicable, the on-board catch. The crew worked alongside a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement Officer, who assisted the boarding team in identifying two living marine resource violations for which the vessel was cited.

The cutter’s boarding teams observed 10 total violations, including a non-U.S. master who was neither a U.S. citizen nor U.S. national, expired documentation, an expired survival craft, expired hydrostatic releases for emergency position indicating radio beacons, expired flares, unsatisfactory condition of life jackets, and damaged turtle mitigation gear.

Due to safety violations, the Joseph Gerczak crew terminated the voyage of one fishing vessel and escorted the vessel to port in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

“Coast Guard law enforcement boardings and vessel safety inspections are vital to ensuring safety of those at sea and protecting our precious marine ecosystems,” said Lt. Caitlin Piker, commanding officer, Cutter Joseph Gerczak. “Our patrols also enhance maritime domain awareness and serve as a critical line of defense against illegal activities that threaten our nation’s security.”

In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders and direction from Adm. Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard is increasing cutter patrols and operations in American Samoa. The Coast Guard is surging assets to increase presence in key areas to protect America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.

The Joseph Gerczak is a 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter homeported in Honolulu. The cutter’s primary missions are maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and national defense.

-USCG-

This Day in Coast Guard History, February 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

February 24

1964  A U.S. Coast Guard ice skiff rescued 25 persons from an ice flow that had broken loose from the shore near Camp Perry, Ohio.  A similar rescue took place almost simultaneously at St. Clair Shores, Michigan when another Coast Guard ice skiff and a police helicopter removed five more from an ice flow.

1987  Coast Guard attorney LCDR Robert W. Bruce, Jr. became the first member of the armed forces to argue a case before the Supreme Court in uniform.  He represented the Coast Guard in Solorio vs. United States.

An NTSB photograph from the final report depicting the damage down to United 811

1989  United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747 with 337 passengers aboard, suffered an explosive decompression resulting in the loss of nine passengers 17 minutes after departing Honolulu as it climbed between 22,000 and 23,000 feet. The aircraft subsequently landed having lost engines three and four. A Coast Guard HC-130, two helicopters, and CGCs Cape Corwin, Mallow and Sassafras searched for the lost passengers but found none. The units then assisted in the retrieval of debris.

This Day in Coast Guard History, February 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

February 23

1822  Congress authorized the Revenue Cutter Service to protect the natural environment by preventing “scoundrels” from cutting down live oak on Florida public lands.  The oak was used for naval construction.

1837  Congress called for an inspection of the coast from Chesapeake Bay to the Sabine River “with regard to the location of additional light-houses, beacons, and buoys.”  Captain Napoleon L. Coste, commanding the Revenue cutter Campbell, was dispatched.  He reported that the first addition to aids to navigation on this entire coast should be at Egmont Key, Tampa Bay.  A lighthouse was authorized immediately and built the next year.

Dorr F. Tozier, USRCS

1877  First Lieutenant Dorr F. Tozier, USRCS assisted in saving the French bark Peabody, which had gone aground on February 23, 1877 off Horn Island in the Mississippi Sound.  Tozier was awarded a Gold Medal by the President of the French Republic “for gallant, courageous, and efficient services” in saving the French vessel.

A crewmember aboard a 26-foot over-the-horizon boat prepares to come alongside Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 30) while underway in the Bering Sea in this 2019 photo. U.S. Coast Guard / Ensign Richard Zogby

2010  CGC Alex Haley returned to their homeport of Kodiak after an 80-day deployment to the South Pacific.  While on patrol in the South Pacific the crew of the cutter was involved in the rescue of 28 survivors of a shipboard fire and the subsequent sinking of the Taiwanese fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 900 miles southwest of Honolulu February 9th.  All 28 crew were rescued and delivered safely to Christmas Island, Kiribati.  The cutter’s expert medical team assisted two badly burned crewmen who were further medevaced by Coast Guard C-130 from Kiribati to Honolulu.

 

This Day in Coast Guard History, February 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

February 22

USCGC Campbell (WPG-32) heading to port at Norfolk Navy Yard. 26 July 1943. US National Archives, photo 80-G-76569

1943  CGC Campbell under the command of CDR James A. Hirshfield and assigned to the international escort group A-3 that was escorting Convoy ON-166 through the North Atlantic, engaged numerous submarine contacts during a running battle across the sea.  Campbell’s attacks damaged at least two U-boats.  The cutter also rescued 50 survivors from a torpedoed Norwegian freighter.  Then, on February 22, 1943, as Campbell returned to the convoy after rescuing the Norwegians, it detected a radar contact closing the convoy.  Campbell raced toward the target and soon made visual contact.  It was the surfaced U-606, earlier disabled by a depth charge attack delivered by the Free Polish destroyer Burza.  Campbell closed to ram while its gunners opened fire.  The big cutter struck the U-boat with a glancing blow and one of the submarine’s hydroplanes sliced open Campbell’s hull, flooding the engine room.  The crew dropped two depth charges as the submarine slid past, and the explosions lifted the U-boat nearly five feet.  Hirshfield later noted, “I felt sure he was ours.”  Campbell illuminated the U-boat with a spotlight and the gunners continued to fire into the submarine’s conning tower and hull.  Hirshfield was hit by shell fragments but remained at his station.  When he realized the Germans had given up, he ordered his men to cease firing.  Campbell then rescued five of the U-606‘s crew.  Due to the collision, Campbell was towed to safety, repaired, and returned to service.  CDR Hirshfield was awarded the Navy Cross for this action.

1944  Coast Guardsmen participate in the invasion of Parry Island in the Marshall Islands.

1966  Division 13 of Coast Guard Squadron One (RONONE) arrived at Cat Lo for service with Operation Market Time in Vietnam.

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BAHRAIN (Dec. 19, 2014) Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, Det. 1, conducts a vertical onboard delivery with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Maui (WPB 1304). HSC-26 is a forward deployed naval force asset attached to Commander, Task Force 53 to provide combat logistics and search and rescue capability throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joan E. Jennings/Released)

2015  CGC Maui returned to her homeport in Bahrain after a prolonged period supporting the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-terrorism and maritime security task force, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), patrolling the Gulf of Oman and the North Arabian Sea from December 2014 to February 2015. Maui was the first US Coast Guard Cutter to provide direct support of CTF-150 since 2011 and the first such ship to operate outside the Straits of Hormuz in nearly two years.  Despite the challenges of the small cutter’s company, with only 21 sailors onboard, Maui was called upon to do more than what is normally expected from a ship of her size, filling a major role in the mission.  The boarding team executed several boarding and approach and visit operations, and the ship’s executive team provided valuable data about the maritime traffic in and around the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea, strengthening CTF-150’s understanding of the maritime picture in the area.  Throughout the patrol, Maui was able to coordinate with the patrol craft, destroyers, aircraft and oilers supporting CTF-150’s mission, ensuring maximum radar coverage, vectoring ships to boarding opportunities, and coordinating logistics.  At one point, Maui extended the normal endurance of a Coast Guard cutter, spending a total 13 days at sea.

Cutter Midgett has been busy in the Western Pacific

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The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) moors in Manila, Philippines, Aug. 30, 2022. Midgett’s crew will engage in professional exchanges and capacity building exercises with the Philippine Coast Guard, and partner nations, and will patrol and conduct operations as directed while deployed on a months-long Western Pacific patrol under the tactical control of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Philippine Coast Guard photo

Two news releases for Coast Guard News, “U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits New Zealand, conducts training and promotes maritime governance” and “U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits Tuvalu, strengthens partnerships and promotes regional security.”

Feb. 21, 2025

U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits New Zealand, conducts training and promotes maritime governance

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) recently concluded a month-long engagement with New Zealand, strengthening ties with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and reinforcing the U.S. Coast Guard’s commitment to Oceania. The engagements included professional exchanges, bilateral maritime law enforcement trainings, and enhanced cooperation between the two nations in support of a peaceful, secure, prosperous, and resilient region.

During Midgett’s transit from Honolulu to Wellington, three RNZN members experienced operations aboard the cutter as part of an exchange program with the Coast Guard.

While in Wellington, Midgett’s crew participated in several events with the RNZN, the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ), the New Zealand Maritime Police, and members of the local community. These events included a reception hosted by the RNZN, visits to the RCCNZ and the Maritime Police Base, a community event with Waka Ama’s outrigger canoes, and ship tours for more than 200 people.

The Coast Guard is an instrument of national power that bridges the divide between defense, diplomacy, and law enforcement, and creates opportunities to further national objectives and priorities. These engagements provided invaluable opportunities for personnel from both nations to interact, discuss experiences, and learn about roles in their services and communities. “The integration of our New Zealand partners into our crew was seamless and highly beneficial,” said Capt. Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of Midgett. “The professional exchanges and shared experiences, along with the friendships forged and sea stories shared, will undoubtedly enhance our ability to operate together in the future.”

The Coast Guard values New Zealand’s active engagement in international security efforts. This partnership is vital to countering destabilizing behavior in the Pacific that undermines mutual prosperity, economic well-being, and the health of the marine ecosystem. This visit builds on the Memorandum of Agreement signed with the RNZN in 2023, allowing both nations to share experiences and knowledge to cultivate best practices. The Coast Guard looks forward to continuing this partnership, based on mutual respect and shared values, to promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Commissioned in 2019, Midgett is the eighth Legend-class national security cutter and is homeported in Honolulu. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, an endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew of up to 170.

Feb. 21, 2025

U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits Tuvalu, strengthens partnerships and promotes regional security

FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) recently concluded a successful engagement in Tuvalu, conducting joint bilateral maritime law enforcement shiprider operations and strengthening partnerships to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the region. This partnership underscores the U.S. Coast Guard’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, leveraging its operational expertise to enhance cooperation and strengthen its trusted partnership with Tuvalu.

During the three-day operation, Midgett participated in three at-sea boardings, including two bilateral inspections within Tuvalu’s exclusive economic zone, the first in over a decade, and one Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission high-seas inspection. Midgett also deployed its ScanEagle unmanned air system to enhance maritime domain awareness and support the joint effort. These joint operations provided valuable opportunities for both Tuvalu and U.S. Coast Guard personnel to exchange expertise, share best practices, and strengthen interoperability. Following the shiprider operations, Midgett hosted 13 distinguished visitors from Tuvalu, including representatives from the Fisheries Department, Maritime Police, and the Tuvalu government. Discussions focused on the positive impact of the joint boardings, emphasizing the importance of maritime security cooperation in the region.

“This operation was a tremendous success on multiple levels,” said Capt. Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of Midgett. “Not only did we work alongside our partners in Tuvalu to conduct critical maritime law enforcement operations, but the experience also provided invaluable training for our crew. From the deck plate level all the way up to command and control, integrating with our Tuvaluan counterparts was seamless and incredibly beneficial for all involved. We learned a great deal from each other, and this experience will undoubtedly pay dividends in future operations.”

The partnership between Midgett and Tuvalu underscores the U.S. Coast Guard’s commitment to supporting Pacific Island nations in their efforts to safeguard their sovereignty and manage their maritime resources effectively. A secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific requires working closely with partners such as Tuvalu to promote maritime governance.

Bilateral maritime efforts enhance governance among regional partners, improving interoperability, and strengthening readiness.

Midgett, commissioned in 2019 and homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, is the eighth Legend-class National Security Cutter. These 418-foot vessels are equipped with advanced technology and a range of capabilities, making them ideally suited to support a wide range of missions, including maritime security, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations. Midgett’s deployment to Oceania highlights the United States’ enduring commitment to promoting a peaceful, secure, prosperous, and resilient Pacific Islands region.