USCG Deepwater Program

[Sea Toby]

USCG Deepwater Program: A wonderful informative Deepwater interview discussing the successes and failures of the Deepwater program Its a few minutes long. Scroll down and click on Deepwater Feature. 12 new FRCs were purchased this fiscal year. General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works, lobbied hard for the new patrol boats. While I am not sure which boat won, or have won the bidding process, Congress has authorized 12 new boats.

http://www.coastguardchannel.com/news/newsFeature.shtml

[Goldie fish]

USCG Management have been very active defending the programmes weaknesses around the world, with a recent rebuttal appearing in Warships IFR, to one of their articles which hilighted the shortfalls in the current USCG fleet capabilities.

[Sea Toby]

Is this the same tabloid British press that questions why Gillette and Hicks don't spend more of their own money for the Liverpool Football Club? A irresponsible press that turns every difference of opinion among the American owners into a war? When enabling works started on the new stadium, the Echo calls Gillette wondering when actual construction will begin? Gillette responds with, "You wanted a spade in the ground, didn't you get that?" Is this the same local government officials who continue to limit the consent of the new stadium to 60k when both American owners have addressed the transit problems, dug deeper to lower the height a few meters, among other things to please the council and to build a 71k stadium?

So who do you trust, a sworned government official or a irresponsible lying press?

[Goldie fish]

I never mentioned tabloid press. I couldn't give a toss about soccer. I fail to see what relevance it has to this topic at all! I'm talking about the publication whose Editor is well respected Naval Journalist Iain Ballantyne.
R.Adm Gary T. Blore took the time to write the article for the publication. He didn't mention soccer once either. July and August 2008 issues refer.

[Sea Toby]

Well, there have been problems, I am willing to admit. Many of the problems have been solved, there are still more problems outstanding. But to claim the ships are lemons, is stretching the truth a bit.

As I am writing this, another hurricane is headed to America's Gulf Coast. Katrina, a few years back, was devastating. The Northrup Grumman shipyard lost a third of its work force. To keep these ships on schedule, much overtime work hours were used significantly increasing the costs with the workers remaining. This has also reflected delays with US naval ships as well, and cost overruns.

I believe the new Berthrop has one major undertaking to go, and that is to prove its C4I communications system/network. There may be more work involved to fix this system as well. It was recently installed to the first of the ships. Much like Aegis radars two decades ago with the navy, this system is highly technical. Eventually, the system will work, other systems are being used until this system is operational.

But if you read reviews by the critics, they claim a lemon, as is for now. If you read the coast guard's press releases, the C4I systems may take another year, or two. The critics were complaining about this system long before it was delivered to the coast guard.

Not only are the new ships getting this system, the older ships will be backfitted as well. Its being installed on older ships and every aircraft. Its going to eventually give the coast guard the tool to fight not only terrorists, but smugglers too.

Under the Transportation Dept. the Coast Guard was a second fiddle navy, for patrolling and search and rescue. Under the new Homeland Security Dept. the Coast Guard is being switched to more of a elite police and border patrol force. With the communications and computer equipment equal to the FBI and CIA.

[Lordinajamjar]

[QUOTE=
Under the Transportation Dept. the Coast Guard was a second fiddle navy, for patrolling and search and rescue. Under the new Homeland Security Dept. the Coast Guard is being switched to more of a elite police and border patrol force. With the communications and computer equipment equal to the FBI and CIA.[/QUOTE]

Actually they patrol way beyond US boundaries. The USCG Dallas is in the Black Sea right now delivering humanitarian aid to the Georgians. This is a busy ship. She was off the African coast on July 11th conducting Visit, Board, Search and Seizure exercise with 5 naval vessels from Equatorial Guinea in support of U.S. Naval Forces Europe's Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080826/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_us

IPTC: Object Name COAST GUARD CUTTER DALLAS (WHEC 716) (FOR RELEASE)
IPTC: Date Created 08/10/1994
IPTC: City CHARLESTON
IPTC: Credit U.S. COAST GUARD SLIDE
IPTC: Keywords CGC; DALLAS; WHEC; WHEC; 716; HIGH; ENDURANCE; CUTTER; 378; CLASS
Date/Time Wed 10 Aug 1994 12:00:00 AM EDT




Thought you might like to see a couple of the blog postings from Coastguardnews.com. There are also a lot of worried relatives praying for this ship's crew.

Our son is aboard the Dallas. This is one of the reasons he signed up with the Coast guard over other branches of the military. This is in their nature. They are rescues first and defenders second. They are our everyday Heroes. I know without a doubt everyone of the crew members are working hard to prepare to meet the need. They will be a fine example of what Americans are truely about. We feed the world and we defend her. God Bless the USA and our fine men and women in any of our uniforms. They make me proud to be an American and proud to be a Coastie Mom.

I served on the USCGC Dallas on it’s first deployment to Viet Nam in 1969 and 1970. We were newly commissioned and state-of-the-art. Having gas turbine engines with variable pitch propellers enabled us to reach full speed and stop in the length of the ship. We nicknamed ourselves the “Roadrunner” and had a pennant made and a horn installed. Whenever we met a Navy vessel, we would engage the turbines, pop the pennant, blow the horn and pull away from them like it was standing still. That made a lot of Navy captain’s extremely angry but we loved it. I am glad the Dallas is still being used to support our country and wish all the people on it and the other services our prayers and know that we are behind them 100%.

I am stationed on the DALLAS at this time and have been looking at blogs and comments that people have been writting about our mission. I would like to thank all the mothers and wifes who posted comments supporting us while we are over here. I appreciate you keeping all of us in your prayers. like always we will make every one proud and we will show all the negative people who think we are old and not fit for this that they are completelty wrong and like the old saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” God bless you all. don’t worry to much we are all having fun.

OS3 Soskin, Michelle

[Dogwatch]

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716) and the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) transit through the Black Sea en route to the Republic of Georgia to deliver humanitarian relief supplies. Dallas is carrying more than 76,000 pounds of supplies, including soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, baby wipes, toilet paper and other necessities. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Jorgensen/Released)


BATUMI, Georgia (Aug. 27, 2008) A pallet of humanitarian assistance supplies is offloaded from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716). Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to be given to the people of Georgia. The supplies are in response to the request of the government of the Republic of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison (Released)


BATUMI, Georgia (Aug. 27, 2008) A Georgian forklift driver drives toward a pallet of humanitarian assistance supplies being crane lifted from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716). Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to be delivered to the people of Georgia in response to the request of the government of the Republic of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison/Released)

[DeV]

The USCG acts as a wartime reserve for the US Navy, there is a monument to the USCG who died on D-Day.

[Lordinajamjar]

The USCG acts as a wartime reserve for the US Navy, there is a monument to the USCG who died on D-Day.

They also served extensively in the Vietnam war. Four cutters and some 26 patrol boats were given to the South Vietnamese and subsequently captured by North Viernamese forces at the end of the war.

http://coastguardnews.com/us-coast-guard-military-multi-mission-and-maritime-vietnam-1965-1973/2007/05/18/

[Goldie fish]

Reading the Times today, the Russians seem to be a bit miffed that Nato have so many warships in the Black sea, and things are "tense" as a result.

Luckily, the USN has an entire doctrine of training formulated around defeating a Russian/soviet navy.

[Victor]

Luckily, the USN has an entire doctrine of training formulated around defeating a Russian/soviet navy.

Does it have a Black Sea chapter though?

[Goldie fish]

Complete this sentence.. "Turkey has been in _______ since 1952"

[yooklid]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/03/BAEL12K8JI.DTL&hw=coast+guard&sn=005&sc=434

Article on the USCGC Bertholf that is to be based across the bay from me. I read the print article and found it online. Enjoy.

[Dogwatch]

Bollinger awarded potential $1.5 billion FRC contract





Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has beaten out five competitors to win an $88 million Coast Guard contract with a $1.5 billion potential. It covers the design and construction of a series of Fast Response Cutter (FRC)/Sentinel Class patrol boats.

The 153-foot cutter, which will be capable of speeds of over 28 knots, will be built at Bollinger's shipyard in Lockport, La.

The Sentinel Class will be 153 feet long, capable of speeds of 28 plus knots, and armed with one stabilized remotely-operated 25 mm chain gun and four crew-served .50-caliber machine guns. It will be able to operate independently for five days at sea and be underway for 2,500 hours per year.

The Sentinel will accommodate 22 crew members. A state-of-the-market command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) system will be fully interoperable with other Coast Guard assets as well as those of the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.

The first Sentinel will be delivered to Coast Guard District 7, based in Miami, in the fall of 2010.

[Goldie fish]

Isn't that just like the Australian Armidale class? Good move either way.