US Coast Guard, News, Reports, Data, etc.

) Russian President Vladimir Putin and defense minister Sergey Ivanov visiting military exercises in Russia's Arctic North on board the nuclear-missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky in 2005. The US is lagging far behind other nations, especially Russia, when it comes to planning for the Arctic region as ice melts.



"We're not even in the same league as Russia right now,"

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Coast Guard Commandant Paul F. Zukunft as saying. "We're not playing in this game at all."

The Arctic is stocked with valuable oil, gas, mineral, and fishery reserves. The US

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that a significant proportion of the planet's untapped resources — including about 15% of the world's remaining oil, up to 30% of its natural-gas deposits, and about 20% of its liquefied natural gas — is stored in the regions seabed.

The US has only two heavy diesel icebreakers and one medium icebreaker, among the main measures of Arctic capability. While not a direct military tool, these vessels play a multifaceted role in any nation's Arctic strategy. The vessels allow a range of other merchant, survey, and military vessels to ply through the Arctic ice safely and in a year-round manner.

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, Russia has six nuclear-powered icebreakers already in service. The Russians also have at least a dozen other diesel icebreakers in service. In 2017, Moscow is expecting the delivery of another new nuclear-powered vessel.

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to acquire more assets for its fleet.


"The Polar Sea had a major engine breakdown in 2010, had to be towed into its home port of Seattle, and it's basically been ... just rusting in the docks in Seattle," Shiva Polefka, of the Center for American Progress,

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NPR.

This forces the US to rely upon a single heavy icebreaker in the Arctic as the region takes on unprecedented levels of economic and geopolitical significance. The US also deploys its icebreakers to the Antarctic, placing strain on its current fleet.

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. A proposed Russian Northern Sea Route could eventually rival the Suez Canal in economic importance. The route would connect shipping from Europe to Asia in 35 days, as opposed to the 48-day journey via the Suez Canal.

Without the needed investment, the US will most likely continue to trail Russia as the Arctic becomes a pivotal geopolitical region.

In addition the disparity in icebreaker strength, Moscow has undertaken a

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across the Arctic to establish military superiority in the region. Russia is constructing 10 Arctic search-and-rescue stations, 16 deepwater ports, 13 airfields, and 10 air-defense radar stations across its Arctic coast.

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Joint Strategic Command North (JSCN) from components of the Northern Fleet in order to maintain a permanent military presence in the region. This command will most likely become a fifth Russian military district.

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Equation said:

This is bull manure can someone confirm this?

"The Polar Sea had a major engine breakdown in 2010, had to be towed into its home port of Seattle, and it's basically been ... just rusting in the docks in Seattle," Shiva Polefka, of the Center for American Progress,

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NPR."

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US Coast Guard said:

The 13th fast response cutter, Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon, arrived at its home port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 24, 2015. The cutter is the first of six FRCs planned to be stationed in San Juan.

Richard Dixon arrived after a 1,500-nautical mile trip from Tampa, Florida, where the cutter was commissioned June 20, 2015.

Representatives of Coast Guard Project Resident Office Lockport, Bollinger Shipyards and Kemplon Engineering were present to greet the crew and begin warranty support of the ship. The PRO has prepared more than 3,000 parts and equipment items to support the six FRCs to be stationed in San Juan. Upon Richard Dixon’s arrival, they immediately began the work to support the cutter and the five other incoming FRCs.

“We are excited to welcome Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon, Sector San Juan's first fast response cutter, to the island of Puerto Rico. The homeporting of fast response cutters at Sector San Juan will significantly enhance our ability to counter the evolving safety, security and law enforcement threats in our region, as the cutters’ new communications and operational capabilities are brought to bear,” said Capt. Robert Warren, commanding officer of Sector San Juan. “The move also highlights the Coast Guard’s unwavering commitment to the citizens of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and our continued investment and contribution to the safety and security of the Eastern Caribbean.”

The Coast Guard is acquiring 58 FRCs to patrol the near-offshore environment and replace the 110-foot Island-class patrol cutters, which entered service in the 1980s. Compared to the Island-class cutters, the FRCs feature more advanced command and control equipment, improved seakeeping and habitability, and faster cutter boat deployment via stern launch.

The FRCs are 154 feet long, have a range of 2,950 miles and a maximum speed of more than 28 knots.

There are currently 32 FRCs under contract. The 14th FRC and second for San Juan, Heriberto Hernandez, is scheduled for delivery later this summer.

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Jeff Head said:

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]

View attachment 15402​

The Coast Guard is rapidly moving forward with the Fast Response cutter program, which is the Sentinel Class. 14 is almost ready, 15 is under construction. They will build 58 of them altogether.

The first six are station in Miami, Fl. the second six are serving in Key West, FL. These next six will be in San Juan.

They are being deployed in squadrons of six.

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Equation said:

Any of them plan to be in Galveston, TX?

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Naval Today said:

United States Coast Guard’s new National Security Cutter James (WMSL 754) sailed away from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Sunday, July 12, just one month after being delivered to the USCG.

James will be commissioned on Aug. 8 in Boston. The ship will then be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, alongside Ingalls’ fourth NSC, Hamilton (WMSL 753).

Ingalls has delivered five NSCs and has two more under construction. Earlier this year, Ingalls was awarded a construction contract for an eighth NSC.

National Security Cutters, the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, are designed to replace the 378‐foot Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters, which entered service during the 1960s. NSCs are 418 feet long with a 54-foot beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

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Naval Today said:

The US Coast Guard’s latest 418-foot National Security Cutter James (WSML 754) entered Boston Harbor August 3, 2015.

The James is the fifth of eight planned National Security Cutters – the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutters in the Coast Guard’s fleet.

The cutters’ design provides better sea-keeping, higher sustained transit speeds, greater endurance and range, and the ability to launch and recover small boats from astern, as well as aviation support facilities and a flight deck for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.

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World Maritime News said:

The U.S. Coast Guard seized a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on July 18, 4,000 pounds of which sank with the vessel during the tow.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton from Alameda apprehended four suspected smugglers and seized 275 bales of cocaine worth more than USD 181 million wholesale from the self-propelled semi-submersible. A U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft detected the 40-foot semi-submersible vessel more than 200-miles south of Mexico.

After removing 12,000 pounds of the narcotics aboard, the crew of Stratton attempted to tow the vessel to shore as evidence; however, the semi-submersible began taking on water and sank, the USCG said.

Approximately 4,000 pounds of cocaine left in the SPSS vessel to stabilize it during the towing evolution sank in over 13,000-feet of water and is unrecoverable.

The July 18 semi-submersible seizure is the largest recorded semi-submersible interdiction in Coast Guard history.

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SeaWaves said:

Lockport LA July 30, 2015 - Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the Heriberto Hernandez, the 14th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard.

The announcement was made by Bollinger’s President & C.E.O., Ben Bordelon.

"We are very pleased to announce the delivery of the latest FRC built by Bollinger Shipyards, the Heriberto Hernandez, to the 7th Coast Guard District in Puerto Rico. We are looking forward to honoring and celebrating the heroic acts of Hernandez at the vessel’s commissioning.”

The 154 foot patrol craft Heriberto Hernandez is the 14th vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class FRC program. To build the FRC, Bollinger used a proven, in-service parent craft design based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708. It has a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26 foot cutter boat. The FRC has been described as an operational "game changer,” by senior Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard took delivery on July 30, 2015 in Key West, Florida, and is scheduled to commission the vessel in Puerto Rico during October, 2015.

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished him or herself in the line of duty. This vessel is named after Coast Guard Hero Heriberto Hernandez. Hernandez, a Fireman aboard the 82-foot Coast Guard Cutter Point Cypress made the ultimate sacrifice as he braved enemy gunfire in South Vietnam while patrolling the Vietnamese coastline. For his bravery as he faced the enemy, Hernandez was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the Bronze Star Medal with the Combat "V” device.

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Sea Waves said:

Boston August 8, 2015 - The Coast Guard commissioned its newest National Security Cutter, the 418-foot Coast Guard Cutter James, Saturday during a ceremony at Coast Guard Base Boston.

"Joshua James began his life-saving career at 15 and saved more than 600 lives," said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft. "What better namesake for a ship and crew that will serve our Nation with pride for the next half century saving lives, stopping smugglers, maintaining safety and security in the Arctic and wherever national objectives may require."

During the ceremony, Zukunft, Charlene James Benoit, of Milford, Connecticut, the ship's sponsor and great-great niece of the ship's namesake, and James' commanding officer, Capt. Andrew J. Tiongson, a native of Somerville, ordered the ship to "come to life", officailly appointing James as an active cutter in the Coast Guard's fleet.

James's crew will play a vital role in the Coast Guard's ability to secure our nation's maritime domain and borders, save lives, interdict illicit traffic, alien smugglers and illegal aliens, and protect ports, waterways and natural resources.

The cutter is named for Capt. Joshua James, a native of Hull, who is credited with saving more than 600 lives during his time with the U.S. Life-Saving Service, which merged with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to create the modern U.S. Coast Guard.

James is the fifth of eight planned National Security Cutters and the second to be homeported on the East Coast. The James will be homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, at the Fleet Law Enforcement Training Center.

The time-honored tradition of commissioning a ship dates back to ancient times, and ceremonially completes the cycle from christening and launching to full status as a cutter in the United States Coast Guard.

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