Ryan Erickson has been busy over at the Naval Institute Blog, posting both a remembrance video to CG 6505, lost this day in 2008, and linking to the flicker page for the new CG HQ construction project.

Background:

If you are new to this topic there is some good background here in the form of advice from the International Sailing Federation intended primarily for yatchsmen. “ISAF Warning Letter”.

Changing Tactic:

Too early to tell if this is a trend, but the pirates seem to be changing their tactics attempting to swamp the defenses of even armed vessels by using as many as twelve skiffs, “Pirates Hunting in Packs.” Chart here. This incident took place near Somali shores where it is easier to gather a large number of boats.

Frustrated by an armed guard while it was under way, pirates subsequently seized a chemical tanker after the armed guard had left, while the ship was anchored in port in Oman, taking 21 hostages. Chart here.

Geographic spread:

The pirates seem to be extending their reach to operate beyond the waters patrolled by naval forces. There is a report that they may now be exploiting a business arrangement with the remnants of the Tamil insurgency to allow them to operate south of India in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, “Recommended Reading “Deadly Business”-at American Shipper.”

Piracy also seems to be spreading to the Gulf of Guinea on Africa’s Atlantic coast where oil is the prize.

 A report carried by the Associated Press quoted Bergen Risk Solutions, a Norway-based consultancy:

“Our investigations indicate that the organized group responsible is based in Nigeria and has high-level patronage in that country,” it said, with prominent Nigerians having often been accused of involvement in the lucrative black market for oil and fuel.  This cargo, Bergen suggests, has been sold in: “several West African ports, possibly including Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire and Port Gentil in Gabon.”

There are some indications that there is a recognition of the problem and a desire to address it, “Steps toward and Iintegrated African Coastguard” and “West African Piracy Cooperation.”

Continue reading →

Thought some of your might find these figures interesting. these two postings list cost per operating hour for several Air Force aircraft including C-130H and C-130J that are also operated by the Coast Guard. (There is a real surprise here in that the costs to operate the C-17 are essentially the same as for the C-130H.)

Fighters, Bombers, Airlifters, and ISR and C2 aircraft here. The F-22, CV-22, and some very exotic aircraft here.

I wanted to draw your attention to an article that appeared on the Navy Times website, “CG’s Deepwater Program Continues to Flounder,” by Alicia A. Caldwell – The Associated Press, Posted : Sunday Aug 21, 2011 13:45:51 EDT.

This story was not a Navy Times exclusive. Through the AP, it has been widely published. You may have seen a version of it on your local media. Unfortunately this article while perhaps “true” is written in such a way as to be misleading, irresponsible, and damaging because of what it left out. I have already posted my comments on the Navy Times Website.

“…the Coast Guard has two new ships to show after spending $7 billion-plus” gives the impression the Coast Guard spent $7B for two ships which is far from the truth.

The money in question has purchased six C-130Js, twelve HC-144 maritime patrol aircraft and 12 associated mission pallets, upgraded older C-130Hs and 102 H-65 helicopters. It has refurbished 16 medium endurance cutters and 13 patrol boats. It has upgraded C4ISR equipment. In addition two more large ships and at least four smaller 154 foot cutters are paid for and will be delivered soon.

For many the takeaway from the article is that the Coast Guard is incompetent and cannot be trusted. In fact the cost of the two ships mentioned is about the same as the lead ships of the Navy’s LCS classes in spite of the fact that the cutters are almost 50% larger.
…
The Coast Guard had to rebuild its procurement staff because previous economy measures had stripped it of it’s in house expertise when a previous administration decided that the Government should outsource its decision making.

I know this was an AP article, but I would expect more balance from Navy Times.

I hate to see these allegations go unanswered.

Here is an interesting proposal for an African Coast Guard Operational Network.

MONROVIA, Liberia—Cmdr. Robert Hendrickson, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, speaks to the media in Monrovia, Liberia, Aug. 12, 2010. The Mohawk traveled to Monrovia to begin with the Liberian Coast Guard as part of the African Partnership Station, an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and other collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Victoria Bonk.

Obviously it would be easy to be cynical about the prospect of this sort of thing happening, but there are strong incentives and the African nations have sometimes shown a willingness to work together through the African Union.

A look at a map of Africa will show many places where criminals can move quickly among the territorial seas of various nations. Without law and order, economic development is difficult at best and frequently impossible. The Somali piracy problem is already adversely effecting the economies of it’s neighbors, and it appears that piracy is becoming more of a problem in the Gulf of Guinea.

The US Coast Guard certainly has a role to play through the African Partnership Station, if such an organization is to be realized. Not that I would ever expect them to be literally integrated, but if the USCG can cooperate with their Russian counterparts, there is reason to hope that African nations can also cooperate.