List of equipment of the United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard uses cutters and small boats on the water, and fixed- and rotary wing (helicopters) aircraft in the air. The Coast Guard employs various small arms including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and machine guns.

Watercraft

Cutters

Originally, the Coast Guard used the term cutter in its traditional sense, as a type of small sailing ship. Today it officially uses the term for any vessel which has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew, and includes only and all vessels of 65-foot (20 m) or more in length.[1]

Larger cutters (over 181 feet (55 m) in length) are controlled by Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). Smaller cutters come under control of district commands. Cutters usually carry a motor surf boat and/or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. Polar-class icebreakers (WAGB) carry an Arctic survey boat (ASB) and landing craft.

The Coast Guard formerly leased 179-foot Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships from the U.S. Navy. All are homeported in Pascagoula, Mississippi. These vessels were used primarily for counterdrug patrols.[2][3][4] Four have now been returned to the navy.

Any Coast Guard crew with officers or petty officers assigned has law-enforcement authority (14 USC Sec. 89) and can conduct armed boardings.

378-foot High Endurance Cutter (WHEC) USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), commissioned in 1967 (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

Boats

USCG 47-foot Motor Lifeboat escorting Spirit of Ontario I Fast Ferry into the port of Rochester, New York on 2004-08-08
A Coast Guard 25-foot (8 m) Defender-class boat from Station Seattle enforces a security zone around a Washington State Ferry in Elliott Bay December 22, 2003.

The Coast Guard operates about 1,400 boats, defined as any vessel less than 65 feet (20 meters) in length, which generally operate near shore and on inland waterways. The most common is 25 feet (7.62 m) long, of which the Guard has more than 350;[8] the shortest is 12 feet (4 m).

The Coast Guard boat fleet includes:

The Coast Guard planned to reduce the inventory of Boston Whalers because of the lack of interoperable spare parts. On Friday, July 13th, the General Services Administration approved the transfer of 10 Coast Guard boats to the Army in Iraq. The boats, 24-foot and 27-foot Boston Whalers with trailers, had an original acquisition cost of more than $800,000. The Army is looking for approximately 55 Riverine or Patrol style boats to conduct water interdiction, river denial and island clearance missions, troop transport and insertion on a regular basis; the Coast Guard is providing the Army with the Boston Whalers and one Ambar boat, a patrol type vessel.[11]
  • Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHI): a rigid-hulled inflatable boat, powered by a gasoline outboard motor or an inboard/outboard diesel engine. The RHI can be easily deployed from a cutter with a four-point bridle for davit lifting and lowering. The RHI's portability and ruggedness allow it to be used on many kinds of missions.
  • USCG Short Range Prosecutor (SRP): A 7-meter (23 ft) launch that can be launched from a rear launching ramp, at speed.
  • USCG Long Range Interceptor (LRI): An 11-meter (36 ft) high-speed launch that can be launched from the rear ramps of the larger Deepwater cutters.[13]
  • Response Boat-Small (Defender-Class): A high-speed boat, for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, port security and law enforcement duties. The original 25-foot boats built by SAFE Boats International (Secure All-around Flotation Equipped) of Port Orchard, Washington are being replaced by 29-foot boats built by Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, LA.[14][15]
  • Response boat - Small II: A small multi-purpose boat designed to replace the Defender class boats.
A U.S. Coast Guard RB-M underway during testing
  • 45-Foot Response Boat – Medium: The Coast Guard has signed a multi-year contract for 180 Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) boats that were delivered starting in 2008 to replace the 41′ UTB boats. These aluminum boats are 45 feet (13.7 m) in length, have twin diesel engines (total 1650 hp), are self-righting, have a four crew, six passenger capacity, are equippable with two .50 caliber machine guns, have an excellent fendering system, have a top speed of 42 knots (78 km/h), and are capable of towing a 100-ton vessel in eight-foot seas. The boats were built by Kvichak Marine Industries of Kent, Washington and Marinette Marine of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[16][17]
  • There are a number of Special Purpose Crafts (SPC), as follows:[18] 18', 20' and 22' Airboats (SPC-AIR & SPC-Airboat),[19] 36' Boarding Team Delivery (SPD-BTD), 52' Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX), 33' Law Enforcement (SPC-LE),[20] 42' Near Shore Lifeboat (SPC-NSB), 24' Shallow Water (SPC-SW),[21]

64' Screening Vessel (SPC-SV), 38' Training Boat (SPC-TB),[22] 39' Tactical Training Boat (SPC-TTR)

Aircraft

A USCG HC-130 Hercules near Oahu

The Coast Guard operates about 210 aircraft. Fixed-wing aircraft (such as Lockheed HC-130 Hercules turboprops) operate from Air Stations on long-duration missions. Helicopters (Aérospatiale HH-65 Dolphin, Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk, and Agusta MH-68 Stingray) operate from Air Stations, Air Facilities, and flight-deck equipped cutters, and can rescue people or intercept smuggling vessels. Some special MH- designated helicopters are armed with guns and some are equipped with armor to protect against small arms fire.

The Coast Guard flies several aircraft types:

HC-144A Ocean Sentry (CASA CN-235-300 MP Persuader).

The Coast Guard is planning to purchase 36 CASA CN-235 from Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) for medium range search. As of 26 February 2008, 3 aircraft have been delivered for testing and integration with a further 5 planned.[30] During testing, one aircraft was pulled into active duty for the search of downed Air Force pilots, in which the aircraft demonstrated its capabilities.

The Coast Guard was to purchase the Bell Eagle Eye UAV as part of the Deepwater program, but this has been cancelled.[31] The Coast Guard is currently preparing to launch a small UAS competition for the Legend-class NSC and future Heritage-class cutter.[32]

In addition to regular Coast Guard aircraft, privately owned general aviation aircraft are used by Coast Guard Auxiliarists for patrols and search-and-rescue missions.

Land vehicles

Name Image Origin Quantity Notes
MWV
HMMWV  United States unspecified number [33]
LSSV  United States unspecified number

Small arms

ModelImageCaliberTypeOriginDetails
Pistols
M99mmPistol ItalyLimited service
P229R-DAK.40 S&WPistolGermanyStandard service pistol
Assault Rifles
M16A25.56×45mm NATOAssault rifle United States
M45.56×45mm NATOCarbine United StatesThe Deployable Operations Group also employs the Mk 18 upper receiver[34]
Shotguns
M870P12-gaugeShotgun United States
Machine Guns
M2407.62×51mm NATOGeneral purpose machine gun United StatesM240B variant is employed aboard surface vessels while the M240H is used aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk and MH-65 Dolphin helicopters. The M240 is also used on land by Port Security units[35]
Browning M2HB.50 BMGHeavy machine gun United StatesPrimary mounted on vessels. Some machine guns are used on land by Port Security units[36]
Precision Rifles
M147.62×51mm NATODesignated marksman rifle United StatesVariant of the M14 service rifle fitted with the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle stock
Mk 117.62×51mm NATOSniper rifle United StatesUsed by the Deployable Operations Group[34]
M107.50 BMGAnti-materiel rifle, sniper rifle United StatesUsed for Airborne Use of Force (AUF) missions
Grenade-Based Weapons
M20340mmGrenade launcher United StatesSingle-shot underbarrel grenade launcher[37]
Mk 1940mmAutomatic grenade launcher United StatesBelt-fed
MK3 grenadeConcussion Grenade United StatesUsed as an anti-swimmer grenade. Being phased out and being replaced by a newer Anti-Swimmer Grenade.[38]

Communications

Rescue 21 Logo.

Coast Guard radio stations cover a wide geographical area using very high frequency and high frequency radios. There are eight major radio stations covering long-range transmissions and an extensive network of VHF radio stations along the nation's coastline and inland rivers.

The current communication system is the Rescue 21. Rescue 21 is an advanced maritime command, control, and communications (C3) system.

The OMEGA navigation system and the LORAN-C transmitters outside the USA were run until 1994 also by the United States Coast Guard, and LORAN-C transmitters within the US were decommissioned on June 1, 2010, with the exception of 5 CONUS LORAN-C stations that continue to be manned due to international agreements.

See also

References

  1. ↑ USCG Regulations. Chapter 10. Accessed 11 December 2006.
  2. ↑ PA3 Brian Leshak, "CG Leases Navy Ships, Fights Drug War". Coast Guard Magazine 2/2006, pp. 32–33.
  3. ↑ WPC Fact Sheet
  4. ↑ Naval Vessel Register
  5. ↑ "Northrop Grumman to Supply Polar Ice Breaker Navigation Support for U.S. Coast Guard". October 20, 2013.
  6. ↑ "PATROL COASTAL SHIPS - PC". Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "Our Opinion: Shipbuilding issues should be solved". The Mississippi Press. July 23, 2007. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  8. ↑ "Operational Assets". U.S. Coast Guard}. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ U.S. General Service Administration. "Boats Transferred to Iraq". Accessed 4 September 2007.
  12. ↑ "Enhancing our ability to protect, defend the maritime domain". coastguard.dodlive.mil. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "{title}". Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  16. ↑ "Keel Laying Ceremony Marks Production of New Response Boat" (Press release). United States Coast Guard. 2007-06-28. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11.
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ USDHS, USCG, Boat Management Manual: COMDTINST M16114.4B
  19. ↑
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ "Metal Shark 24 Relentless (SPC-SW)". Metal Shark Aluminum Boats.
  22. ↑ "Metal Shark 38 Defiant". Metal Shark Aluminum Boats.
  23. ↑ HH-60J Jayhawk at GlobalSecurity.org
  24. ↑ "USCG receives 11th regenerated C-27J". Naval Warfare International. 20 February 2017.
  25. ↑
  26. ↑ Air Forces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2013. p. 31.
  27. ↑ "EADS North America Delivers 15th HC-144A Ocean Sentry to U.S. Coast Guard". June 7, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Airbus Group, Inc. delivers U.S. Coast Guard with its 16th HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft". January 22, 2014.
  29. ↑
  30. ↑ EADS CASA’s HC-144A finds a downed pilot during its maiden SAR mission in U.S. Coast Guard service
  31. ↑ "Bell Eagle Eye HV-911". USCG.
  32. ↑ "US Coast Guard to Launch sUAS Competition". www.uasvision.com. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  33. ↑ name="IHS Jane's Land Warfare Platforms Logistics, Support & Unmanned 2015-2016 AM
  34. 1 2 Joint Service Small Arms Systems Annual Symposium - 20 May 2008
  35. ↑ "Port Security Unit 305 provides anti-terrorism force protection in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba". coastguard.dodlive.mil. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  36. ↑ "Everyday heroes tasked with extraordinary duties". www.flickr.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  37. ↑ PA2 John Edwards and PA1 Kimberly Smith, PADET Atlantic City. "Learning to Shoot All Over Again". Coast Guard Magazine, Issue 2, 2006, pp. 4–19.
  38. ↑ "Anti-Swimmer Grenade offers underwater port security". www.navair.navy.mil. Navair.navy.mil. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
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