US Coast Guard Vessels
All Major Cutters and Boats
The United States Coast Guard currently operates over 675 cutters and boats of all types. Of these, over 170 are US Coast Guard Cutters of various sizes, ranging from 91 tons displacement, up to 16,000 tons displacement.
The US Coast Guard is currently undergoing a recapitalization and modernization program that will ultimately see close to 700 cutters and boats in its ranks, of which 344 will be cutters.
This thread will list the various cutters and their sizes and descriptions, and serve the purpose for discussions regarding US Coast Guard news. Later, a section like this will be added regarding US Coast Guard aircraft.
So, listed by size of displacement, here are the current and planned classes of US Coast Guard cutters and vessels.
USCGC WAGB Healy, heavy, ocean going ice breaker
Number in Class: 1
Displacement: 16,000 tons
Length: 420 ft.
Beam: 82 ft.
Draft: 30 ft.
Speed: 17 knots
Crew: 85 Coast Guard + 50 Scientiest
Armament: N/A
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for 2 Medium Helicopters
USCGC WAGB Polar Star, heavy, ocean going ice breaker
Number in Class: 1
Displacement: 13,950 tons
Length: 400 ft.
Beam: 84 ft.
Draft: 32 ft.
Speed: 18 knots
Crew: 154 Coast Guard + 33 Scientiest
Armament: N/A
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for 2 Medium Helicopters
USCGC WMSL Legend Class, National Security Cutter
Number in Class: 4, 4 more planned
Displacement: 4,500 tons
Length: 418 ft.
Beam: 54 ft.
Draft: 22 ft.
Speed: 29 knots
Crew: 112
Armament:
1 x 57mm Bofors DP Gun
1 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
4 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for 2 Medium Helicopters
USCGC WLBB Mackinaw, heavy, fresh waterg ice breaker
Number in Class: 1
Displacement: 3,500 tons
Length: 240 ft.
Beam: 59 ft.
Draft: 16 ft.
speed: 16 knots
Crew: 55
Armament: N/A
Aircraft: None
USCGC WHEC Hamilton Class, High Endurance Cutter
Number in Class: 7 (Being replaced by Legend Class)
Displacement: 3,250 tons
Length: 378 ft.
Beam: 43 ft.
Draft: 15 ft.
Speed: 29 knots
Crew: 167
Armament:
1 x 76mm DP Gun
2 x 25mm Mk-38 Auto cannons
1 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
4 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for 1 Medium Helicopter
USCGC WMEC Offshore Patrol Cutter
Number in Class: 0, 25 planned
Displacement: 2,000+ tons
Length: 280 ft.
Beam: 38 ft.
Draft: 15 ft.
speed: 26 knots
Crew: 85
Armament:
1 x 57mm DP Gun
1 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
2 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for 1 Medium Helicopter
USCGC WMEC Famous Class, Medium Endurance Cutter
Number in Class: 13 (Being replaced by Offshore Patrol Cutter)
Displacement: 1,850 tons
Length: 270 ft.
Beam: 38 ft.
Draft: 15 ft.
Speed: 20 knots
Crew: 100
Armament:
1 x 76mm DP Gun
2 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: Pad (No hanger) for 1 Medium Helicopter
USCGC WMEC Reliance Class, Medium Endurance Cutter
Number in Class: 14 (Being replaced by Offshore Patrol Cutter)
Displacement: 1,000 tons
Length: 210 ft.
Beam: 34 ft.
Draft: 11 ft.
speed: 18 knots
Crew: 75
Armament:
1 x 25mm auto cannon
2 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: Pad (No hanger) for 1 Medium Helicopter
USCGC WLBB Bay Class, fresh water ice breaking tug
Number in Class: 9
Displacement: 665 tons
Length: 140 ft.
Beam: 38 ft.
Draft: 13 ft.
Speed: 14.5 knots
Crew: 17
Armament: N/A
Aircraft: None
USCGC WPC Sentinnel Class, Fast Response Cutter
Number in Class: 10, 55 planned
Displacement: 353 tons
Length: 154 ft.
Beam: 27 ft.
Draft: 10 ft.
Speed: 28 knots
Crew: 22
Armament:
1 x 25mm Mk-38 Mod 2 auto cannon
4 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: None
USCGC WPB Island Class, Patrol Boat
Number in Class: 41 (Being replaced by sentinnel Class)
Displacement: 168 tons
Length: 110 ft.
Beam: 21 ft.
Draft: 7 ft.
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 16
Armament:
1 x 25mm Mk-38 auto cannon
2 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: None
USCG WPB Marine Protector Class, Patrol Boat
Number in Class: 73
Displacement: 91 tons
Length: 87 ft.
Beam: 20 ft.
Draft: 6 ft.
Speed: 25 knots
Crew: 10
Armament:
2 x 12.7mm MGs
Aircraft: None
USCG RB-M, Response Boat Medium
Number in Class: 152, 170 planned
Displacement: 16 tons
Length: 45 ft.
Beam: 15 ft.
Draft: 4 ft.
Speed: 42 knots
Crew: 4
Armament:
2 x 7.62mm MGs
Aircraft: None
USCG RB-M, Response Boat Small
Number in Class: 52, 350 planned
Displacement: 8.5 tons
Length: 25 ft.
Beam: 9 ft.
Draft: 3 ft.
Speed: 45 knots
Crew: 4
Armament:
2 x 7.62mm MGs
Aircraft: None
USCG RB-M, Defender Class, Response Boat Small
Number in Class: 300 (Being Replaced by new RB-S above)
Displacement: 3 tons
Length: 29 ft.
Beam: 7 ft.
Draft: 3 ft.
Speed: 45 knots
Crew: 4
Armament:
2 x 7.62mm MGs
Aircraft: None
These are the principle cutters and response boats of the US Coast Guard.
There are other buoy and construction/repair cutters and vessels, but I have not included them here.