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Hearing: Coast Guard Requirements, Priorities, and Future Acquisition Plans...
May 18, the Commandant, Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, addressed the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee. The recorded testimony is above. It is fairly long (1h40m). The Commandant’s...
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FY2018 Budget Request
The Homeland Security “FY2018 Budget in Brief” has been published. You can see it in pdf form here. The Coast Guard portion is on pages 44-48. The breakdown of the elements of the Coast Guard budget...
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“Breaking Ice: The Next Icebreaker Will Be a Navy-Coast Guard...
The Office of Naval Research’s online magazine, “Future Force,” has some insights into how they are approaching the task of helping to design the Coast Guard’s new heavy icebreakers. It also seems to...
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Interview: Adm. Paul Zukunft demands Coast Guard respect–Defense News
DefenseNews had an interview with the Commandant. You can read it here. I will not repeat the Commandant’s responses here, but I will repeat one of the questions and add my own thoughts. Admiral, you...
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What’s in a Name
The program currently stands at 23 vessels delivered with 22 commissioned. They are being delivered at a rate of 5 per year meaning the last of 58 planned should be commissioned by the end of FY2024....
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Contract Award for FRC 39-44, Thoughts on Patrol Craft
Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco (WPC-1122) enters San Francisco Bay during the 6,200-mile trip from Key West, Florida, to its homeport in Ketchikan, Alaska, April 28, 2017. The cutter is the second...
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Metal Shark Builds WPBs for FMS
Metal Shark Illustration. RHIB pictured is 5.5 meters NavyRecognition reports that Metal Shark has been awarded a contract “…potentially worth upwards of $54 million, Metal Shark will build up to...
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Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Coast Guard Sea, Land,...
The hearing recorded above was held 7 June. The original video was found here. That page also provides the chairman’s opening statement and links to the witnesses’ written statements that are also...
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French Navy Gets New Icebreaker
L’Astrolabe (2017) in Kiel, 3 January 2017, photo by HenSti NavalToday reports that the French Navy will soon accept a light icebreaker/ supply vessel to be named L’Astrolabe. It will replace a smaller...
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A Trend: the Nexus of Missile Boats, Corvettes, and Patrol Vessels
There seems to be a trend in anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) armed vessels. This may not look like a topic of interest to the Coast Guard, but it seems the former bright line between vessels designed...
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World Maritime Fleets–UN
The UN has issued an interesting short report on the status of the World’s merchant fleets. I am going to quote it below. Top 5 ship owners are Greece, Japan, China, Germany and Singapore. Together...
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India Launches First Two of Five OPVs
The Indian Navy has announced the launching of the first two of a new class of five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). Three more of the class are expected by the end of the year. Within the Indian Navy,...
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OPC Design Passes ICDR
OPC Characteristics: •Length: 360 feet, Beam: 54 feet, Draft: 17 feet •Sustained Speed: 22+ knots •Range: 8500+ nautical miles, Endurance: 60 Days The Maritime Executive reports that Eastern has...
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Hero Names for the OPCs
We got a premature look at the naming sources being planned for the Offshore Patrol Cutters. It was perhaps the default choice in recycling old names, but I believe we owe recognition to many of our...
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U.S. Coast Guard: Priorities for the Future–CSIS/USNI
The video above records an recent event, a “Maritime Security dialogue” presented by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the United States Naval Institute (USNI) featuring...
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Marine Protector class WPB replacement? Its Time!
33 meter Damen designed patrol boat Bairdmaritime brings us news of a new patrol boat being built for a private security company that is protecting Nigeria’s offshore oil industry. Looks like a...
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OPC Derived Frigate? Designed for the Royal Navy, Proposed for USN
Babcock’s Arrowhead 120 proposal for the Royal Navy’s type 31e frigate Earlier I suggested that a derivative of the Offshore Patrol Cutter might fill the role of a frigate. It now appears that a ship...
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USCGC Polar SeaThe US Naval Institute reports the Coast Guard has issued a draft Request for Proposals for a new Heavy Icebreaker with options for two more. Certainly good news to see the process...
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Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress–Nov. 30, 2017
OPC “Placemat” The Congressional Research Service has issued an updated report on Coast Guard Cutter procurement by Specialist in Naval Affair, Ronald O’Rourke. It is available in pdf format here or...
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SNA Symposium, Virtual Tour
If you were unable to attend the Surface Navy Association Symposium, but would like to see what you missed, NavyRecognition offers a series of videos. They include a number of systems that have been...
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