ARLINGTON, Va. — The Coast Guard plans to deploy one of its Bertholf-class national security cutters (NSCs) to the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility to escort some new fast response cutters for basing in the Persian Gulf, the Coast Guard Commandant said. 

Speaking Dec. 3 in a Navy League Special Topic Breakfast webinar, Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard, said the NSC will deploy in 2021 through the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf while escorting two new Sentinel-class fast response cutters (FRCs) for duty in the Gulf. 

The FRCS will be the first of six to be forward deployed to the Coast Guard’s Patrol Force Southwest Asia, where they will participate in maritime security operations under the auspices of the Navy’s U.S. Fifth Fleet. The 154-foot-long FRCs will replace six 110-foot-long Island-class patrol boats in the Gulf. 

Schultz praised the capabilities of the service’s FRCs, 41 of which have been delivered by Bollinger Shipyards. The FRCs already have been extending the Coast Guard’s reach into the South Pacific from Hawaii and now Guam, with two of three FRCs for Guam already in place. 

The Coast Guard has made three deployments to the Western Pacific with NSC. Bertholf and Stratton deployed there in 2019 and performed such missions as enforcing sanctions against North Korea and engaging with allied and partner nations. While the Navy destroyers USS John McCain and USS Fitzgerald were going through repairs from collisions, the two NSCs were able to assume missions and free up destroyers and cruisers for the ballistic-missile defense role in the Sea of Japan.  

The Waesche deployed to the Western Pacific in 2020 but suffered a fire and is in Japan for repair. In addition, the Kimball deployed to the South Pacific for fisheries patrols near Fiji. The Bertholf was diverted from a counter-drug patrol in 2020 and sent to the Galapagos Archipelago where it used its ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles to observe possible Chinese fishing fleet violations of the Ecuadorian Exclusive Economic Zone. 

Schultz also said the service’s newest NSC, the Stone, would be deployed on its shakedown cruise in 2021 off the Atlantic coast of South America to, among several missions, counter illegal and unreported fishing violations. 

SANTA RITA, Guam — The Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) arrived at its new homeport in Santa Rita, Guam on Monday, following a 10,620 nautical mile journey from Florida, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a Nov. 30 release. 
 
During the voyage to its new homeport the crew of the Oliver Henry participated in drug interdiction operations in the Eastern Pacific while also assisting in a search for an overdue fishing vessel off Saipan. 
 
“I am extremely proud of the crew, who did an exceptional job preparing and sailing the cutter nearly 11,000 nautical miles from Key West, Florida, to Santa Rita, Guam, during the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. John Hamel, the Oliver Henry’s commanding officer. “Not only did we deliver the highly capable Fast Response Cutter to our new operational area in the Western Pacific but we also conducted operations while transiting the Eastern Pacific, seizing a cocaine shipment worth $26.7 million in support of the United States Southern Command’s Operation Martillo.” 
 
The Oliver Henry is the second of three scheduled fast response cutters (FRCs) to be stationed in Guam. The FRCs are replacing the 30-year old 110-foot Island Class Patrol Boats and are equipped with advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and boast greater range and endurance. 
 
Like the Island-class patrol boats before them the FRC’s are designed as multi-mission platforms ranging from maritime law enforcement to search and rescue. The new cutters represent the Coast Guard’s commitment to modernizing service assets to address the increasingly complex global Maritime Transportation System. 
 
“Oliver Henry will significantly increase the capabilities of the Coast Guard throughout the region,” said Capt. Christopher Chase, commander, Coast Guard Sector Guam. “I am excited to welcome the crew of the Oliver Henry home and look forward to them conducting operations with our partners in the near future.”  
 
The cutter is named after Oliver T. Henry Jr., an African American Coast Guardsman who enlisted in 1940 and was the first to break the color barrier of a then-segregated Service. During World War II, Henry served under Lt. Cmdr. Carlton Skinner, who later became the first civilian governor of Guam and played a critical role in developing the Organic Act in 1950. Henry blazed a trail for minorities in the U.S. military as he climbed from enlisted ranks while serving on 10 different Coast Guard cutters, finally retiring as a chief warrant officer in 1966. 
 
Each FRC has a standard 24-person crew. This will bring over 70 new Coast Guard members to Guam, along with a projected 100 family members. In addition to the crews of the three ships additional Coast Guard support members and their families will also be in Guam. 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returned to its homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia, after a 57-day patrol conducting counter-drug and humanitarian assistance operations in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 20, the Coast Guard 5th District said in a Nov. 30 release. 

The Seneca crew deployed with an embarked MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron in Jacksonville, Florida. The embarked helicopter provided the cutter with aerial use of force capabilities to supplement onboard law enforcement teams. 

Upon their arrival in the Pacific, Seneca crewmembers conducted joint maritime operations with the Colombian Naval vessel A.R.C. Punta Ardita. The joint operation focused on interoperability, communications, and counter-narcotics efforts.  

Surface and air crews seized more than 2,750 kilograms of cocaine and 1,235 pounds of marijuana, for an estimated street value of over $124 million. Three vessels were interdicted and a fourth disrupted through joint efforts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Navy. These efforts resulted in the detainment of nine suspected narcotics traffickers. 

“I continue to be impressed with what the crew of Seneca can accomplish,” said Cmdr. Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of the Seneca. “Operating in a pandemic environment is a challenge and the crew rose to it. We accomplished a lot in a short time. Counter-narcotics interdictions, international cooperation, hurricane assistance, and refueling at sea. This patrol encompassed many of our core missions and improved our proficiency. The crew can return home with their head held high with pride.”  

Additionally, Seneca crewmembers completed three underway replenishments with the Chilean Navy Oiler Almirante Montt. The process brings two ships in close proximity to each other while at sea to transfer fuel and supplies. The Almirante Montt crew provided logistical services in a COVID-19 free and contactless environment, extending Seneca’s time on patrol. 

After transiting from the Eastern Pacific to the Caribbean, the Seneca crew was tasked to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Eta on the Mosquito Coast of Honduras. The embarked helicopter crew also assisted in conducting multiple missions, which included medical evacuation, critical infrastructure reconnaissance, and identifying stranded populations and individuals in need. 

The Seneca is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth and routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, migrant interdiction, fisheries, search and rescue, and homeland security missions.  

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard completed a 30-day demonstration and evaluation of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) off Oahu, early November, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a Nov. 25 release 
 
The focus of the test was to explore how current and emerging technologies might be used to enhance maritime domain awareness in remote regions. The test also showed ways USVs with assorted sensor capabilities might support the Coast Guard’s many missions around the globe ranging from search and rescue, to law enforcement.  
 
“It’s clear that autonomous technology is a growing industry, and has great potential to enhance Coast Guard operations,” said Cmdr. Blair Sweigart, the demonstration’s director from the Coast Guard Research and Development Center. “Combined with artificial intelligence algorithms, unmanned systems could be a game changer.” 
 
During the test the Coast Guard examined USVs from Saildrone and Spatial Integrated Systems to understand their capabilities and effectiveness. The USVs participated in a variety of operational simulations to detect and alert the Coast Guard to both legitimate and nefarious behavior. 
 
As outlined in the Coast Guard’s Strategic Plan 2018-2022, one of the service’s main goals is to “evaluate emerging technologies, such as unmanned platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, network protocols, information storage, and human-machine collaboration for possible use in mission execution.” 
 
These tests represent a commitment to those goals, allowing the Coast Guard to identify how USVs could be used to support search and rescue operations, improve Marine Environmental response, enhance Port Security, aid in the fight against illegal maritime smuggling, and identify vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. 
 
“The demonstration helped us understand what these technologies currently are, and are not, capable of,” said Sweigart. “These vessels proved to be very effective across a variety of mission areas. The results of this study will help shape how the Coast Guard, and our partners, incorporate USVs into our future operations.”  
 
With their long endurance, USVs can provide persistent domain awareness in remote regions of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. By conducting the demonstrations off Hawaii, the teams gained a firsthand understanding of how these assets could help protect the islands, and the critical resources and habitats throughout Oceania.  
 
Many of the Coast Guard’s missions require close coordination with federal, state, local, and international partners and during the tests the Coast Guard worked closely with NOAA, DHS partners, the Navy, and agencies from several partner nations who face similar issues to protect the global maritime and fishing industries. 

MIAMI — The Coast Guard intercepted two illegal voyages Nov. 22 off the coast of Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a Nov. 24 release. 

Puerto Rican Border Patrol (FURA) detected a 20-foot vessel with 12 migrants aboard, 11 Dominican Republic and one Guatemalan migrant — including 11 adult males and one adult female — approximately four miles west of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier (WPC-1115)crew embarked the migrants and safely transferred them to the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos (WPC-1118) crew.  

FURA detected a second 20-foot vessel with 13 migrants aboard, nine Dominican Republic and four Brazilian migrants, including 12 adult males and one adult female, approximately 1 mile northwest of Punta Borinquen, Puerto Rico. The Joseph Tezanos crew arrived on scene and embarked the migrants who were later transferred to the Dominican Republic Navy. 

“The close collaboration and efficient coordination between the Puerto Rico Border Patrol and fellow Caribbean Border Interagency group partner agencies resulted in two successful interdictions and the safe removal of all 25 migrants,” said Lt. Anthony Orr, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos.“With the consistent danger these smuggling ventures present, our crews remain vigilant to protect lives and enforce U.S. law.” 

The Coast Guard has interdicted approximately 101 Dominican migrants so far this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2020. In fiscal year 2020, the Coast Guard crews interdicted 1,117 Dominican migrants who attempted to illegally migrate via maritime means. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. 

All migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention once aboard a Coast Guard cutter. Throughout the interdiction Coast Guard crewmembers were equipped with personal protective equipment to minimize potential exposure to any possible case of COVID-19. 

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned to homeport in Pensacola Friday after a 47-day Caribbean Sea patrol, the Coast Guard 8th District said in a Nov. 20 release.  

Diligence performed counter-drug operations in support of the U.S. Government’s Joint Interagency Task Force–South, which conducts detection and monitoring operations in the Caribbean to facilitate the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of national and partner nation security.  

The U.S. Coast Guard works alongside interagency and international partners to prevent and respond to dangerous and illegal maritime smuggling from Central and South America. Diligence supported these efforts by patrolling the Southwestern Caribbean Sea in an effort to detect and deter maritime smuggling in the region.  

During the patrol, Diligence intercepted a vessel with approximately 150 gallons of suspected liquefied cocaine and detained four suspected smugglers. Additionally, Diligence received from other U.S. law enforcement agencies more than 7,700 pounds of narcotics and six additional smugglers apprehended and orchestrated the successful transfer of the cases to U.S. authorities for prosecution. The 47-day patrol was also critical in allowing Diligence’s crew to work on shipboard training, qualifications and proficiency to maintain operational readiness. 

“This patrol presented several unique and dynamic challenges,” said Diligence Commanding Officer Cmdr. Luke Slivinski. “Characteristic of a seagoing service, we never know what adventures lay ahead. I am immensely proud of and impressed by Diligence’s crew for their steadfast ability to adapt to the task at hand and carry out the mission with professionalism and proficiency.” 

The cutter Diligence is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Pensacola with a crew of 75. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

ALAMEDA, Calif — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL-752) returned to its homeport Wednesday at Coast Guard Island in Alameda after 11 crew members tested positive for COVID-19 during the deployment, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a Nov. 18 release.   

The affected crew members reported mild symptoms and are receiving medical care.  

The cutter was met by Coast Guard medical staff, who conducted testing of the entire crew. Following testing, the crew went into quarantine. The cutter will continue to meet all in-port watchstanding requirements while at homeport.  

“The crew’s health and safety is my highest priority,” said Capt. Bob Little, Stratton’s commanding officer. “Stratton has a highly resilient crew, always dedicated to the mission. Our mission today is to get healthy so we can continue our service to the nation.”   

The Stratton departed Alameda Oct. 28 to begin a counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific. Prior to getting underway, the crew underwent a restriction-of-movement period where members were required to self-quarantine and pass two COVID tests.   

On Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, several crew members began to develop COVID symptoms and were administered rapid testing kits. All affected personnel and close contacts were identified and quarantined.   

“The safety of our people and the public remain my top priority,” said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area commander. “We continue to perform all statutory missions while taking the necessary precautions to protect our members and the public. We are committed to maintaining our operational readiness and will continue to perform critical missions that protect our national interests, promote economic prosperity and ensure public safety.” 

PUERTO LEMPIRA, Honduras — A Coast Guard Helicopter Tactical Squadron (HITRON) MH-65 Dolphin aircrew forward deployed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC-906) provided humanitarian assistance, Nov. 13, to Honduran villages after Hurricane Eta impacted the country, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a Nov. 15 release.  

The HITRON aircrew and Seneca crew medevaced multiple people and redistributed relief aid across the hurricane impacted area as needed.  

“I am very thankful to have been able to assist in the medevac and rescue efforts following the wake of Hurricane Eta in Honduras,” said Petty Officer 1st Class James Mann, a HITRON flight mechanic. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Honduran people and our fellow service members continuing to help them rebuild. We wish for a speedy recovery to all those affected.”  

“The Seneca is proud to be assigned to CTF-45 and support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Honduras,” said Cmdr. Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca. “Our embarked MH-65 helicopter was well suited to provide medical evacuations, conduct aerial surveys of critical infrastructure and deliver emergency supplies in remote areas. The Seneca’s crew performed magnificently and I am grateful that we could provide assistance after Hurricane Eta made landfall in Honduras.”  

Joint Task Force-Bravo is leading the humanitarian aid disaster relief efforts under the responsibility of U.S. Southern Command. The mission of JTF-Bravo includes being prepared to support disaster relief operations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, when directed by SOUTHCOM. JTF-B’s training and strategic location allows them to mobilize and respond to an emergency with very short notice, enabling them to rapidly respond to the needs of our partners. 

Coast Guard Seventh District, along with regional partners, are monitoring Hurricane Iota and urges caution to all mariners in the Western Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard stands ready, relevant and responsive to aid and render assistance when needed.  

The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter with a crew complement of 100, with missions ranging from counter-narcotics, migrant interdictions, search and rescue to living marine resource operations from the Gulf of Maine to the Pacific Ocean. The cutter was commissioned in 1987 and is homeported in Boston, Massachusetts. 

WASHINGTON — As unmanned systems (UxS) continue to develop and be used by military services and federal agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard should proceed more aggressively and deliberately in taking advantage of UxS advancements, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.  

The Coast Guard should also produce a high-level strategy with critical goals and actionable steps toward fully utilizing UxS technology, the report says. UxS technologies include aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles with no human occupants; vehicles that may have a crew but with some level of remote control; and systems that are not vehicles. 

As one of the country’s six military services, the Coast Guard also serves as a first responder, law enforcement agency, maritime regulator, and member of the intelligence community. Despite multiple initiatives to explore and assess the applicability of UxS to these areas, the Coast Guard lacks a formal means for identifying, investigating, and integrating systems. Meanwhile, UxS technological advancements continue to accelerate, driven by both commercial and military demands.  

“A major realignment of the Coast Guard’s UxS approach is needed,” said Heidi C. Perry, assistant head of the Air, Missile, and Maritime Defense Technology Division at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “As other military services integrate UxS into their force structure, the Coast Guard will be impelled to do the same.” 

The new strategy must come from the top, the report says, and therefore, the commandant should issue a high-level strategy that lays out a compelling rationale for UxS, sets forth critical goals for the systems, and outlines the Coast Guard’s approach for achieving them. The Coast Guard has issued high-level strategies in the past, which are intended to convey urgency to senior leadership and spur changes needed across the organization, from setting strategic goals and objectives for achieving the new vision to establishing appropriate organizational structures and lines of authority. 

One of the reasons for not fully exploiting the advances in UxS technology is the Coast Guard’s limited budget, including its modest research and development funding compared with other military services and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies. Furthermore, it is unlikely the funding needs for UxS will be met by simply reallocating traditional Coast Guard appropriations, the report stresses. The support of Congress and DHS will be vital for the Coast Guard to fully realize the potential of UxS technology. To properly assess the Coast Guard’s UxS funding needs, the commandant should commission an internal study of the multiyear spending that will be required for research, assets, integration, and personnel to fully implement the UxS strategy. 

Organizational changes to the Coast Guard may be necessary to most effectively execute a new high-level UxS strategy. The commandant should designate a top Coast Guard official, at the flag officer or senior executive service level, to advocate for and advance the UxS strategy, the report recommends. This official would be responsible for identifying, promoting, coordinating, and facilitating the changes that will be needed across the organization to further the commandant’s strategic goals and objectives for UxS. Additionally, the commandant should establish an UxS program office that will work with the top official to plan out, coordinate, assess, and promote UxS activities across the Coast Guard. One of the first initiatives of this program office should be to develop an UxS “road map” that translates the strategic goals into an actionable plan. 

“A dedicated program office could play a vital leadership and coordinating role in expanding the use of UxS across the Coast Guard,” said retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral Fred M. Midgette, a committee member. “It would foster an organizational environment in which the Coast Guard is better able to leverage UxS technologies.” 

In order to accelerate the introduction of UxS into the force structure, the report recommends that the Coast Guard expand its efforts to carry out operations-related experimentation with low-cost UxS. This would include potentially designating field units specifically for experimentation and rapid transitioning of systems into operations. Encouraging experimentation with low-cost UxS technologies will lead to the identification of beneficial uses and would nurture a more technologically proficient workforce. 

The study — undertaken by the Coast Guard Maritime Domain Awareness Committee — was sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard. The National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. 

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered National Security Cutter (NSC) Stone (WMSL 758) to the U.S. Coast Guard, the company said in a Nov. 10 release. 

Documents signed Nov. 9 mark the official transfer of custody of the ship from HII to the Coast Guard. Stone is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard at the end of this year to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina. 

“We could not be prouder to deliver our ninth national security cutter to the Coast Guard,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “Ending the year with this significant achievement is a true testament to the perseverance of our shipbuilders. Stone is a powerful ship that will have great opportunities to demonstrate the value of its multi-mission capabilities for many years to come.”  

NSC 9 is named to honor Coast Guard Commander Elmer “Archie” Fowler Stone, Coast Guard aviator number one, who made history in 1919 for being one of two Coast Guard pilots in the four-man air crew who completed the first trans-Atlantic flight in a Navy seaplane.  

The Legend-class NSC is the most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet, which enables it to meet the high demands required for maritime and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs are 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.