“How Does Sweden and Finland Joining NATO Affect the U.S. Coast Guard?” –By Peter Ong

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, middle, takes a photo with the USCGC Eagle’s crew during a reception aboard the cutter, June 2, 2023, in Helsinki, Finland. Eagle is a tall ship used as a training platform for future Coast Guard Academy officers as well as a vessel utilized for establishing and maintaining domestic and international relationships. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Carmen Caver)

Guest author Peter Ong provides a look at the continuing relationship between the Coast Guard and new NATO members Sweden and Finland. 

With the war in Ukraine affecting current economic and security situations in 2022-2024 Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) welcomed its two newest members, Finland and Sweden, both Arctic nations. Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023. Sweden joined NATO on 7 March 2024.

NATO’s European members and when they joined the NATO alliance. Source: Wikipedia

I sent a media inquiry to the USCG’s Headquarters, Public Affairs Office, Washington D.C., asking how Sweden and Finland becoming NATO’s newest members might influence the U.S. Coast Guard in terms of icebreaking, cutter designs, exercises, training, enforcement, and maritime security.

The USCG replied, “From a regional perspective, this will increase cooperation and improve interoperability.  Information sharing, exercises, and operations will be much easier to coordinate with all the Nordics now in NATO.”

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Arthur Flaherty, a boatswain’s mate assigned to the USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753), prepares to transfer Hamilton crewmembers onto the Swedish Coast Guard vessel Amfitrite in the Baltic Sea, Oct. 31, 2022. Hamilton was on deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alejandro Rivera)

The United States Coast Guard has a history of visiting and working with partner Baltic nations to improve relationships, training, interoperability, communications, intelligence, and coordination. Even before they entered NATO the US Coast Guard had a long-standing relationship with Sweden and Finland through the Arctic Coast Guard Forum.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Tanya Kuprak, engineering officer aboard USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753), gives a tour of the engine room to Swedish Coast Guard members while underway in the Baltic Sea, Oct. 30, 2022. Hamilton was deployed with U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alejandro Rivera)

Recent interactions include:

United States’ relationship with Finland has benefitted in the area of model testing and consulting on the current Great Lakes icebreaker, Mackinaw, regarding its design and Azipod propulsion.

RIMPAC Preparation

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Navy ships assemble to form a multinational fleet for a photo exercise off the coast of Hawaii during the Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on July 26, 2018. Twenty-six nations, more than 45 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC. (MC3 Dylan Kinee/U.S. Navy)

The biannual RIMPAC exercise is regularly the largest naval exercise in the world, and the Coast Guard is a regular participant. During the last two RIMPACs National Security Cutters did some interesting stuff, including commanding a task force and hosting Navy MH-60R and MH-60S Helicopters.

In addition, the Coast Guard will have a role in securing the safety of participating units.

It is almost certain we will see some former US Coast Guard cutters participating since they are now in the navies or coast guards of Colombia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

I hold out hope that Coast Guard units may be able to participate in a SINK-EX. even if the target is a former Coast Guard patrol boat, but it’s not likely.

Using the comments section, I will use this post to pass along information on preparation for the exercise. Below are posts that give us some previews of what to expect.

“A New Weapon Of War: Killer Underwater Drones” –Video

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Wanted to pass this along. A little less than a half hour, but a good way to get up to speed on an emerging weapons technology. It also includes a lot of background on torpedoes.

I would only add that these are likely to be used as terrorist weapons as well as weapons of war.

H. I. Sutton is probably the leading unclassified source for information on unconventional naval warfare systems and has also been a great source on maritime drug smuggling technology. He has a website, “Covert Shores,” that is included on my “Recommended Blogs” page. He is also widely published in the popular press including by the US Naval Institute and in Naval News. He has also published several books.

“Down 2,500 Recruits, Coast Guard Overhauls Talent Management” –USNI

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The US Naval Institute News Service reports on how the Coast Guard is attempting to remedy its personnel shortage.

Recruiting had never been an issue for the Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Paul Thomas, deputy commandant for mission support, said at separate Sea Air Space panel. People would come to the service, and they met the necessary numbers with little effort. Now, the service has to revamp its approach.

The Commandant has asked people to think outside the box and it looks like we are beginning to see results. We can’t expect that every new idea will work, but at least the Coast Guard is trying new ideas.  

“MEDIA AVAILABILITY: US Coast Guard to commission newest national security cutter, named for first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, in North Charleston, South Carolina” –news release

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USCGC Calhoun 759 arrives Charleston.

Below is a news release from Coast Guard News.

April 16, 2024

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.  — The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a commissioning ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759), the service’s newest national security cutter, Saturday, in North Charlston. The event will be presided over by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan. The cutter’s namesake comes from the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Charles L. Calhoun. The commissioning ceremony’s date of April 20 is in honor of Calhoun’s birthday.

WHO: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Heath Jones; Capt. Timothy Sommella, the commanding officer of the Calhoun; and Calhoun crew members.

WHAT:  Commissioning ceremony for the Coast Guard’s newest national security cutter.

WHEN: Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 2000 Bainbridge Ave., North Charleston, SC 29405.

Editors’ Note: Interested media are requested to RSVP by emailing a list of members’ names to Ensign Cody Meyers at Cody.L.Meyers@uscg.mil for base access no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday. Credentialed media are asked to arrive no later than 9 a.m. Saturday with a driver’s license and proof of insurance to clear security. 

APKWS Affordable Counter UAS System

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The War Zone (TWZ) reports on a new NAVAIR contract for Counter UAS systems.

See the four fixed radar antenna on top of the cab? Look familiar?

From the Company web site: RPS-42 is an S-Band tactical hemispheric air surveillance radar system. It is a member of the non-rotating, solid-state, digital radar family Multi-mission Hemisphere Radar (MHR), developed by RADA Electronic Industries Ltd.
The RPS-42 is a pulse Doppler, software-defined radar platform, that can detect, classify and track all types of aerial vehicles – including fighters, helicopters, UAVs, transport aircraft, etc. at tactical ranges. A single radar platform provides 90º azimuth coverage. Hemispheric coverage is achieved when four radars are employed as a system. Mobile or stationary, the system can be integrated with any C⁴I system and other radars and sensors. The software is able for On-the-Move (OTM) Operation. The radar can operate either as a stand-alone or as part of a large-scale surveillance system.
The Antenna is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) based on Galliumnitrid (GaN) Amplifiers. Its diameter is 50.4 cm, the max width is 16.5 cm.
The achievable range for detection of the smallest drones (known as Nano UAV) is 3.5 km.

Looks like they or close cousins are on PATFORSWA cutters. (Click on the photo below to enlarge.) They are on the mast.

USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) prior to departure for PATFORSWA.

The TWZ post has a bit of cost comparison as well.

The laser-guided rockets are modular and low-cost, with the guidance section designed to slot in between existing standardized 70mm warheads and rocket motors. The unit cost of the APKWS II guidance section is around $25,000, with the warhead and rocket motor together typically only costing a few thousand dollars more depending on their exact types, according to Navy budget documents. For comparison, the cost of a single Coyote Block 2 interceptor, another counter-drone weapon currently deployed to help protect U.S. Forces in the Middle East, is reportedly roughly around $100,000. Current generation Stinger short-range heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, which include new features to improve their effectiveness against drones, have a unit cost of around $400,000.

For comparison, an Alamo round of 57mm costs about $29,500.

The MSI news release is here. More on MSI’s Vehicle Integration Kit (VIK).

“Canadian-Led CTF 150 Seize Nearly 2,000kg of Narcotics in Two Interdictions in a Single Day” –Combined Maritime Forces

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Apr 14, 2024
ARABIAN SEA – 240410-N-NO146-1005 ARABIAN SEA (April 10, 2024) Bags of illegal narcotics seized from a vessel are stacked on the deck of the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) in the Arabian Sea, April 10. Clarence Sutphin Jr. was operating under Combined Task Force 150, one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. CTF 150 focuses on maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf. Crimson Barracuda counters terrorist and criminal organizations’ use of the high seas to smuggle narcotics, weapons, and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

Below is a news release from Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs.

I would note two things about this particular incident. The use of “Canadian space-based intelligence” to cue the cutter’s interdiction, and second, that you can see Long Range Acoustic Devices mounted on the cutter in the photo above. Below is a close-up.

Long Range Acoustic Device.

MANAMA, Bahrain —The Canadian-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 carried out two drug interdictions at sea in a single day as part of Focused Operation Crimson Barracuda in the Arabian Sea, April 10. The two interdictions resulted in the seizure of a combined total of nearly 2,000 kg of drugs.

The Royal Navy’s HMS Lancaster, a Duke-class Type 23 frigate, seized over 800 kg of hashish, 390 kg of methamphetamines and 110 kg of heroine from a stateless dhow in the Arabian Sea. This was the crew’s first day of deployment after completing a crew swap a few weeks before.

“I am exceptionally proud of the entire team in Lancaster executing this interdiction on the first day of our deployment,” said Royal Navy Cmdr. Chris Sharp, HMS Lancaster’s commanding officer. “Complex interdictions in such a challenging environment require true teamwork across the entire ship’s company. This success is shared with our partners in CTF 150 who provided essential support to the operation.”

Then, using Canadian space-based intelligence, the Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) seized 257 kg of methamphetamines, 92 kg of heroine, 17 kg of amphetamines, 296 kg of hashish, and 15 kg of marijuana from another dhow in the Arabian Sea. After weighing and documenting the hauls, the crew disposed of the narcotics.

Clarence Sutphin Jr is forward deployed to Bahrain as part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East.

“These two interdictions have made a significant dent in criminal and terrorist organizations’ ability to use drugs to fund their activities,” said Royal Canadian Navy Capt. Colin Matthews, Commander Combined Task Force 150. “The collaboration of our assets and personnel allowed us to become a precise and highly effective team that not only undermined the efforts of these organizations, but also nearly 2,000 kg of drugs from hitting the streets.”

Crimson Barracuda counters terrorist and criminal organizations’ use of the high seas to smuggle narcotics, weapons, and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest international naval partnership. CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

Combined Maritime Forces is a 42-nation naval partnership upholding the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Sea-Air-Space Graphics Available

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As noted earlier, the Coast Guard made a number of presentations at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space exposition, April 8 and 9. Most of us were not able to attend, but we can still see some of the information provided. The Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) webpage has links to the graphics that were used during most of the presentations.

“Navy Wants A Cheap Heavy Torpedo That Can Be Stockpiled Fast” –The War Zone

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WWII surface torpedo launch

The War Zone reports,

Rapid Acquisition Procurable Torpedo, or RAPTOR…early in the testing stages…could provide the service with quick-delivery and inexpensive submarine munitions that may be transferable to other platforms as well. (Emphasis applied–Chuck) Capt. Chris Polk, the Navy’s program manager for undersea weapons, detailed the effort …The goal…was to have a torpedo that costs $500,000 or less, with all components acquired and produced within a year. For comparison, the current unit cost of a Mk 48 Mod 7 torpedo is approximately $4.2 million…”

Why would the Coast Guard care?:

For quite a while, I have contended that Coast Guard cutters do not have a capability implicit in their mission set, the ability to forcibly stop vessels regardless of size. Simply put, we need a ship stopper.

With the increase in vessel size, it has become extremely unlikely we would be able to stop even a medium sized vessel, manned by a determined crew, in anything like a timely manner, using the guns being installed on cutters.

To stop a ship, the logical targets are rudder, propeller, or engines. All three are mostly or completely below the waterline, making a torpedo the logical weapon of choice. The last time I looked, we had 31 critical ports that needed protecting. Distributing enough of the US Navy’s only, very expensive, Mk48 heavy weight torpedoes to protect 31 ports was a non-starter, so I have suggested that we use lightweight torpedoes (the Navy has a lot more of them) with the idea that cutters would generally just serve as another place to store them since, if we are lucky, they would never be used. Even if an attack occurred, most would go unused. The ones issued to the Coast Guard could come out of the reserve stock until the Navy decides they need them in wartime.

The US Navy has not introduced a totally new heavy weight torpedo in more than 50 years. Some foreign surface combatants still carry heavy weight torpedoes, but the US Navy has not built surface combatants with heavy weight torpedo tubes since the 1960s. (Brooke and Garcia class Destroyer Escorts–later frigates–were the last classes.)

If this new torpedo does cost less than $500,000, it would be less than the reported cost of the Mk54 light weight torpedo ($839,320 in 2014).

It seems, the Navy may have decided they need a way to sink ships, maybe a lot of ships, including large ships, that may not be top of the line combatants, without having to empty their magazines of expensive, exotic munitions.

If that is the case, hopefully they will make enough to allow placing some on cutters, including small cutters like the FRCs or the WPB replacement. FRCs are almost seven times larger than the PTs boats of WWII and the PTs carried four heavy weight torpedoes. I would be happy to see cutters carrying two.

former USNS Kilauea breaks in half after being hit by the torpedo.

“Kongsberg Maritime to supply Promas propulsion systems for the United States Coast Guard’s new Offshore Patrol Cutter programme” –Kongsberg Maritime

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Below is a news release from Kongsberg Maritime. This will maintain continuity with the four ships being built by Eastern.

Kongsberg Maritime has been selected by Austal USA to supply its Promas propulsion system to the latest ship in the United States Coast Guard’s new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Heritage Class programme.

This initial contract is to supply Kongsberg Maritime equipment for the fifth ship, Coast Guard Cutter Pickering, which is the first to be built by Austal USA at their yard in Mobile, Alabama.

The Coast Guard’s new OPC programme represents a significant investment in maritime capability and is expected to run up to 25 ships. The new vessels will replace the Coast Guard’s medium endurance cutters and meet the need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness.

Promas combines rudder and controllable pitch propeller into one propulsion system which optimises the hydrodynamic properties of the ship and delivers increased efficiency and thrust while using less energy. For the OPC, as well as twin Promas, Kongsberg Maritime is contracted to supply steering gear, rudders, fin stabilisers and tunnel thrusters.

Björn ten Eicken, Kongsberg Maritime, Vice President – Naval, said: “Kongsberg Maritime has a proud history of supplying mission critical technology to United States Coast Guard programmes.

“We have supplied our propulsion systems for naval and governmental forces for more than 80 years, and we’re delighted to have developed an efficient and effective system specifically suited to the challenging and varied operations of these new ships. Our Promas systems typically deliver efficiency savings of around 6%, so vessels are able to extend their range, something which can be crucial on longer missions.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Coast Guard and Austal USA on delivering these highly-capable ships.”

The OPC vessels will be able to provide long range patrol capability. At 360 feet long, they will have a displacement of 3,700 long tons, maximum speed of 22.2 knots, and a range of 9,050 nautical miles at 14 knots.