KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) was decommissioned during a ceremony Saturday at Coast Guard Base Kodiak and presided over by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in an April 24 release. 
 
The Douglas Munro was the Coast Guard’s last remaining 378-foot Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter. The fleet of high-endurance cutters is being replaced by 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters, which serve as the Coast Guard’s primary long-range asset. 
 
Commissioned in 1971, Douglas Munro was the tenth of 12 high-endurance cutters built for long-range, high-endurance missions, including maritime security roles, drug interdiction, illegal migrant interception and fisheries patrols. 
 
The cutter was named after Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II. 
 
Munro was the officer-in-charge of an eight-craft amphibious landing force during the Guadalcanal Campaign and used his landing craft and its .30 caliber machine gun to shield and protect several hundred Marines who were under heavy enemy fire. He was mortally wounded during this effort, but his actions allowed for the Marines to be extracted by other landing craft. For these actions Munro was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor, making him the only person to receive the medal for actions performed during service in the Coast Guard. 
 
“Today we say thank you and goodbye to the end of an era — an era of nearly 50 years when high endurance cutters took our service’s racing stripe around the globe, modeling the maritime rules-based order,” said Schultz during the ceremony. “Today we say thank you and goodbye to cutter Douglas Munro — the first cutter to be named after Coast Guard hero — Signalman First Class Douglas Munro.” 
 
Over the past 49-years of distinguished service, Douglas Munro’s crews have served in a multitude of domestic and international theaters including the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia and the Eastern Pacific. The cutters proud legacy of honorable service to the nation began in the early 1970s patrolling Ocean Stations Delta, Bravo and November, providing weather data to trans-Pacific flights, supporting oceanographic research missions and performing search-and-rescue operations. 
 
The crew of Douglas Munro also patrolled the Pacific for decades as an enforcer of fisheries regulations. In 1998, Douglas Munro’s crew discovered and seized over 11.5 tons of cocaine from a Mexican flagged vessel, the Xolesuientle, in what remains to this day one of the largest single drug seizures in Coast Guard history. The following year, Douglas Munro’s crew seized the motor vessel Wing Fung Lung, which was attempting to transport 259 illegal Chinese migrants to the United States. 
 
In early 2005, at the beginning of a six-month, 37,000 mile global circumnavigation that included support to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the crew of Douglas Munro was diverted to render assistance to countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004. 
 
The legacy of Douglas Munro was epitomized on March 23, 2008 when the cutter’s crew and their embarked MH-65 Aviation Detachment worked with a forward deployed Air Station Kodiak MH-60 helicopter crew to recover 20 survivors from the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger that sank in the Bering Sea early that morning. The 17th Coast Guard District commander at the time of the rescue, Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, declared it “One of the greatest search and rescue efforts in modern history.” 
 
“Serving as the final crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro, the last 378-foot cutter in the Coast Guard has been an exciting and rewarding experience for myself and my shipmates,” said Capt. Riley Gatewood, commanding officer of the Douglas Munro. “During my time aboard I have witnessed the sacrifices of the crew as they spent time away from their loved ones in service to their country. This dedication echoes the hard work put forth by our predecessors during the cutter’s 49-years of service and embodies the ships motto ‘Honoring the past by serving the present.’ While Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro is being decommissioned, I know that the legacy and service of Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro lives on in the Coast Guard men and women serving around the world today, and in the national security cutter Munro that continues to bear his name.” 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bear (WMEC 901) returned home to Portsmouth Sunday following an 86-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 5th District said in an April 26 release.  

The Bear’s crew interdicted three vessels, seized approximately 8,158 pounds of cocaine, two pounds of methamphetamines, as well as marijuana, worth a combined total of over $140 million, and detained 12 suspected drug smugglers. 

The Bear’s crew also coordinated operations with the U.S. Coast Guard’s Tactical Law Enforcement Team South Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET-108), who were deployed aboard the HMCS Saskatoon, a Kingston-class coastal defense vessel from the Canadian Navy. The collaboration supported LEDET-108’s seizure of an additional 2,866 pounds of cocaine and the detention of three suspected smugglers. 

A flight crew and aviation detachment from the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), deployed aboard the Bear for the patrol. HITRON crews specialize in airborne use of force, and are based out of Jacksonville, Florida. The crew of the Bear worked in preparation for the counter-narcotics mission, partaking in numerous flight operations to recertify the flight crew and enhance crew proficiency in shipboard helicopter operations and non-complaint vessel training. 

The Bear’s crew departed Portsmouth to conduct joint training exercises with the U.S. Navy on January 31. The Bear supported the Navy’s training exercise while operating off the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas, and the crew took advantage of the unique opportunity to become more proficient at wartime steaming. 

“I am extremely proud of this crew and honored to be their commanding officer,” said Cmdr. Jeff Ferlauto, the Bear’s commanding officer. “It’s been an extremely successful deployment and the crew met each challenge head-on. Since our initial transit through the Panama Canal into the Eastern Pacific, this crew dominated! As we get ready for the home stretch, I want to personally thank all the families and friends for their continued support. I realize that our personal lives and our devotion to duty are in constant tension. We have chosen to serve our country and execute missions that take us far from home and require extended absences from our loved ones.”  

The Bear is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Joseph Tezanos crew repatriated 18 migrants to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel April 22, following the interdiction of migrant voyage in Mona Passage waters between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an April 22 release. 

The migrant group consists of 17 men and a woman, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. 

The interdiction is the result of ongoing efforts by Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) partner agencies to combat illegal migrant smuggling. 

The aircrew of a Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft detected the illegal voyage on April 20; a grossly overloaded 25-foot makeshift vessel in waters northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos responded and, with the assistance of the cutter’s small boat, stopped the migrant vessel. The Joseph Tezanos crew embarked the migrants due to safety of life at sea concerns and destroyed the makeshift vessel as a hazard to navigation. 

Prior to embarking, the Joseph Tezanos crew provided the migrants with lifejackets.  Once aboard the cutter, the migrants received food, water and basic medical attention. 

“These 18 migrants are among the hundreds of others who risk their lives yearly to enter Puerto Rico illegally on makeshift grossly overloaded vessels,” said Lt. Anthony Orr, Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos commanding officer. “I could not be prouder of my crew for working efficiently and tirelessly to care for these migrants and ensure their safe repatriation.  The success of this operation was due to the impeccable teamwork that we had with CBP, Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, and Sector San Juan’s Command Center and Enforcement Division.” 

Cutter Joseph Tezanos is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby declared “the state of our naval unmanned capabilities is truly unmatched,” and vowed continued support for the nation’s ongoing transition to a hybrid manned-unmanned force in the future, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Corporate Strategic Communications said in an April 22 release. 

Speaking during a visit to San Diego for the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem 21 (IBP21), Selby said the exercise, which puts into operation different unmanned vehicles “Above the sea, on the sea and below the sea,” demonstrates that America’s growing focus on autonomous capabilities is showing impressive results. 

“We are not yet where we want to be,” said Selby, “but we are getting closer. As our potential adversaries go all-in on unmanned platforms, we must and will maintain a dominant force that can meet and defeat any challenge.” 

During the exercise, a large number of multi-domain unmanned platforms — including unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles (UAVs, USVs and UUVs, respectively) — are being put into real-world, “blue-water” environments, working in sync with manned platforms in actual combat drills designed to support Pacific Fleet objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Many of the platforms in IBP21 are supported by the Naval Research Enterprise (NRE), which Selby commands. Comprising the ONR; the Naval Research Laboratory; and the Office of Naval Research Global (ONR Global), the NRE is tasked with providing the capabilities and long-term vision ensuring U.S. naval dominance today and into the future. 

While many platforms in IBP21 are classified, officials are highlighting the Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MDUSV) Sea Hunter and its new sister craft, Sea Hawk, as well as a long-endurance UAVs, all of which can be used for surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and other missions. 

Sea Hunter is already a proven player in the Navy’s unmanned portfolio. In 2019, the vessel completed an autonomous trip from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, a distance of over 2,000 nautical miles, and returned, demonstrating credible and relevant naval capability. 

Both MDUSVs can host multiple payloads and perform multiple missions to support Sailor and Marine objectives, and both are seen as game-changers.  

Indeed, the performance of many new unmanned technologies are leading the Navy and Marine Corps to rethink concepts of operations, as noted in the widely publicized naval document “Unmanned Campaign Framework,” recently released by the Department of the Navy.  

The Unmanned Campaign Framework notes autonomy will complement, not replace, manned assets, and will provide warfighters far more options in combat.   

Dr. Marcus Tepaske, who leads ONR Global’s Experimentation and Analysis program and is coordinating many platforms in use during IBP21, confirmed naval unmanned capabilities are accelerating. He said these kinds of large-scale exercises are essential to ensure what works in theory will work in the fleet. 

“The best test you can put a technology through is one where the warfighters get to work with it,” Tepaske said. “Real-world applications are messier, dirtier, wetter and absolutely more beneficial than anything we can test in a lab. “Getting the warfighters’ feedback on using these unmanned systems will be one real measure of success for IBP21.” 

Coordinating multi-domain manned and unmanned teaming efforts with so many different systems is in itself a daunting challenge. That job is being led by Pacific Fleet crews aboard USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), one of three Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers with unique advanced capabilities for command and control.  

Ultimately, experts say, autonomous systems are here to stay. 

Dr. Jason Stack, ONR’s technical director and autonomy lead, is encouraged by the forward thinking and real-world forward movement represented by IBP21. Intelligent autonomous systems, he said, will be an essential part of the Navy and Marine Corps in the near term.  

“When you read the Unmanned Campaign Framework, the serious challenge we face from well-funded, highly-motivated, competitive naval forces around the world — all accelerating their autonomous capabilities — is clear,” he said. 

Stack noted that the U.S. and allied partners have a more robust commitment to the ethical use of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence when compared to some other nations.   

“Our goal is to operationally integrate and continuously improve the types of intelligent and autonomous technologies that Pacific Fleet is testing right now,” he said. “We will do this ethically and responsibly by always ensuring our Sailors and Marines can exercise the appropriate levels of human judgement over our machines. This will be our enduring competitive advantage.”  

The IBP21 exercise is the initial step in the Navy’s commitment to operational experimentation with autonomous systems in the fleet. Following its completion, the Navy and Marine Corps will assess what worked, what didn’t, and how to accelerate unmanned capabilities for the fleet and force. 

FAIRFAX, Va. — Logos Technologies LLC successfully flew its wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor aboard an RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft at a test range in Boardman, Oregon, the company said in an April 22 release. 

The two-week-long test — which included preparatory groundwork in Bingen, Washington — comes on the heels of a $5.3 million contract the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command had recently awarded to Logos, to develop more WAMI sensors for Navy and Marine users. 

“We are very excited by our recent test aboard the RQ-21A Blackjack,” said Doug Rombough, vice president for Business Development at Logos Technologies. “Our ongoing effort to develop an ultra-light WAMI capability for the Blackjack and other small, tactical unmanned aircraft is clearly paying off.” 

Logos has created a U.S. military version of BlackKite, currently called Cardcounter, an ultra-light (26 pounds) infrared WAMI system developed by Logos. Despite its low SWaP, BlackKite can detect and track in real time every significant target moving within a city-sized area, giving tactical operators a powerful, hereto unheard of, capability. 

In addition, thanks to the WAMI system’s multi-modal edge processor — which can store six or more hours of mission data — users on the ground can also access recorded imagery for on-the-fly forensic analysis. 

“No military in the world has anything like the Logos WAMI sensor on their tactical unmanned aircraft,” said Rombough. “This WAMI system views and records the entire area and can stream multiple real-time and recorded video ‘chip-outs’ down to handheld devices.” 

Logos was first tasked with converting their BlackKite system to meet government requirements in September 2019, with two units being produced for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command. The follow-on $5.3 million development contract and March test flight are part of the same effort.  

“In total, we will be producing four modular WAMI systems for the Navy,” Rombough said, “with the hope that this will open the door for a wider U.S. military adoption of WAMI, both for the Blackjack and other Group 3 unmanned aircraft.” 

DAHLGREN. Va. — Scientists and engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) are developing and delivering upgrades to the Navy’s Vertical Launch Systems (VLS), improving the fleet’s anti-air, ship self-defense, ballistic-missile defense and land-attack capabilities despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSWCDD said in an April 23 release.  

What’s more, NSWCDD hired new software and test engineers to support the continuous increase in VLS upgrades since the command’s maximum telework policy took effect in March 2020.  

“As the Vertical Launch System grows into other platforms, it has created more work opportunities in our branch,” said Felix Lopez, NSWCDD Maritime Weapons & Launcher Systems Integration branch head. “As a result, we knew we had to grow the team.”  

New work opportunities within the branch include supporting capability upgrades as well as the continued authorization and certification of the Mk41 and Mk57 VLS for shipboard test events and tactical operations.  

Lisa Haas, an NSWCDD engineer and the acting certification official for MK 41 and MK 57 VLS, said she has never seen the branch and its VLS programs busier in her 31 years at NSWCDD.  

“Over the last three years, we have had more changes going into our programs, more capability upgrades than we have ever had, and it’s impacting more pieces of our system than ever,” said Haas.  

The Mk41 is a highly adaptable canister launching system capable of dispatching missiles for every threat in naval warfare. The system’s adaptability enables myriad upgrades, earning its place as one of the fleet’s most significant defense capabilities.  

These upgrades keep NSWCDD — the sole Certification Agent and Technical Direction Agent — busy.  

Some recent projects included upgrades to Mk41 to support the launch of Standard Missile, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile and Tomahawk Missile variants. The recent upgrades in support of the Tomahawk Weapon System were so comprehensive that every ship in the U.S. Navy equipped with the Mk41 VLS is a candidate to receive the Tomahawk capability upgrades.  

To keep up with these sweeping changes that affect such a large part of the fleet, Lopez said the team was due for a hiring effort when he came aboard as branch head in 2019.  

“We had an issue with increasing tasking while our staffing remained about the same. This triggered hiring left and right,” said Lopez, who brought on several software and test engineers in the last year. “It’s been a challenge, but we’re doing quite well. Every time you get new personnel, you have to train them. The subject matter experts have to continue doing their job, but they also have to allocate time to train new personnel and they’ve been very effective at that.”  

Haas, one such VLS expert on the team, said the pandemic-driven telework presented challenging but navigable obstacles in training the new recruits.  

“It’s been more challenging to train new folks because they can’t be embedded in the middle of our large technical group with all the knowledge right there for them,” said Haas. “But we can get them approved to be on base a little more often so that we can directly interface with them. It’s very important to get new folks [on base] so that they can begin to feel part of the team and get that sense of loyalty that you get when you work with a team and a sense of pride in what you’re doing.”  

This sense of pride that comes along with working in VLS is apparent in talking to Haas and Lopez. Both reference the spirited atmosphere surrounding the team and are quick to praise both the new recruits and the seasoned professionals that have been working with VLS at Dahlgren for years.  

“A lot of folks in our group have been around a long time – they are very knowledgeable, capable and proactive,” said Haas. “They know what the job is and they get it done.”  

When getting the job done means supporting a substantial percentage of our warfighters’ naval defense capability, it takes a dedicated and multidisciplinary team of experts. From software engineers and computer scientists to mechanical engineers and safety professionals, the team at NSWCDD continues to support the fleet’s capabilities while collaborating effectively to meet the needs of the U.S. Navy.  

“VLS works together as a team very well,” said Haas after rifling off more than a handful of names of teammates and partners that led to the branch’s success in the last three years. “It’s absolutely amazing the engineering that goes into the system, how it all works together and works together rather well. It’s impressive.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will christen its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), during a 6:30 p.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, April 24, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the service said in an April 23 release. 

The ship’s namesake, Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, served as the second superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps in 1911, and was also the first living woman recipient of the Navy Cross. When she entered naval service in 1908, she was one of the first 20 women, known as the “Sacred Twenty,” to join the newly established Navy Nurse Corps and contributed her nursing skills to the Navy during the First World War. This is the second ship named after Higbee. The first, USS Higbee (DD 806), was the first combat warship named after a female member of the U.S. Navy. 

Ray Mabus, 75th secretary of the Navy, will deliver the christening ceremony’s principal address. Jay Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) and Rear Adm. Cynthia Kuehner, commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command, will also provide remarks. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsors, Louisa Dixon, Virginia Munford and R. Pickett Wilson, will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. 

“The future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee will serve for decades as a reminder of Ms. Higbee’s service to our nation and her unwavering support of a strong and healthy Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker. “This ship honors not only her service but that of all of our Navy nurses who support the strength and wellbeing of our service members and their families.” 

The ship will be the 73rd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and one of 20 currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. The ship is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection and delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare. The future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee will be 509.5 feet long and 59 feet wide, with a displacement of 9,496 tons. It will be homeported in San Diego. 

DAHLGREN, Va. — Navy engineer Danny Mudd looked forward to the arrival of a new U.S. Marine Corps radar system after working on the program for years. When the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system – a mobile unit designed to be stationed anywhere while providing air surveillance and ground weapons locating capabilities — arrived at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Mudd and his team were ready to provide five weeks of test and evaluation, the NSWCDD said in release.  

“It’s exciting to be able to test an actual system when you’ve been working on it for years,” said Mudd, G/ATOR program team lead and radar operations manager for the Sensor Software Engineering Branch at NSWCDD. “Having the radar in our backyard is a game changer and makes you really appreciate the work that we’ve done here and continue to do.”  

Mudd and his team manage the lab productivity that maintains and updates the test assets with the branch’s software support activity lead, Bradley Payne, who provides software development for the G/ATOR system.  

“We provide government support to the program office, located in Quantico, and develop test procedures for the radar system,” said Bill Shea, G/ATOR technical program manager in the NSWCDD Sensor Software Engineering Branch. “Our G/ATOR team has supported this program for well over 10 years.”  

Shea and his team collaborate with other naval warfare centers, the primary contractor Northrop Grumman and several branches across Dahlgren.  

Before participating in integrated field tests, a new version of G/ATOR was brought to NSWCDD to perform interoperability testing with other systems. Shea and his team prepared for the G/ATOR’s testing schedule by verifying the command’s infrastructure functionality, including power accessibility, radar data recording abilities and data analysis capabilities.  

“Having a tactical radar at Dahlgren for our engineering team to utilize, allows the team to develop expert knowledge of the radar’s functionality and capability,” said Shea. “In collaboration across the warfare center and the contractor, the G/ATOR team achieved that ability to field test, collect data and verify theories to improve the radar’s performance and support the warfighter.”  

Within the first week of the G/ATOR system’s arrival, command, senior leadership and essential team leads conducted walkthroughs of safety protocols and complete range safety validations before live testing.  

For many team members supporting the G/ATOR project, the opportunity to work directly with the system and have accessibility to calculate theories proved beneficial for the warfare center. 

“Many people working on the radar program have only seen the G/ATOR in pictures since one wasn’t available until this test event,” said Shea. “The opportunity to engage with the unit at Dahlgren helps software developers understand some of the interfaces they’re building. They can see firsthand how the software is being used.”  

Through collaborative efforts within the department and other divisions across NSWCDD, the G/ATOR team performed central testing evaluations that verified the radar systems detection functionalities and software capabilities. During the test schedule, the G/ATOR team conducted evaluations around the clock during the workweek.  

Dahlgren’s G/ATOR team is already planning to expand the sustainment of software capabilities for the G/ATOR system through integrated test evaluations. 

LOCKPORT, La. — Bollinger Shipyards LLC has delivered the USCGC Glenn Harris to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, the company said in an April 22 release. This is the 167th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 44th fast response cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.

The Glenn Harris is the third of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110-foot Island-class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest overseas presence outside the United States. 

“Bollinger is proud to continue enhancing and supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s operational presence and ensuring it remains the preferred partner around the world,” said Bollinger President and Chief Executive Ben Bordelon. “It is our top priority to ensure that the brave men and women of the Coast Guard stationed in PATFORSWA have the most state-of-the-art, advanced vessels as they work to build and maintain the necessary regional alliances to ensure maritime security in the region. Building ships for the Coast Guard provides critical assets to bolster our national security and advance America’s interests, both at home and abroad.” 

Earlier this year at the commissioning ceremony of the USCGC Charles Moulthrope, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz lauded the “enhanced seakeeping” capabilities of the PATFORSWA-bound FRCs, saying “these ships are truly going to be game changing in their new theater of operations” and “offer increased opportunities for integrated joint operations with our Navy and Marine Corps colleagues” as the Coast Guard seeks to be part of the whole-of-government solution set in the region. 

PATFORSWA is composed of six cutters, shoreside support personnel and the Maritime Engagement Team. The unit’s mission is to train, organize, equip, support and deploy combat-ready Coast Guard Forces in support of U.S. Central Command and national security objectives. PATFORSWA works with Naval Forces Central Command in furthering their goals to conduct persistent maritime operations to forward U.S. interests, deter and counter disruptive countries, defeat violent extremism and strengthen partner nations’ maritime capabilities in order to promote a secure maritime environment. 

Earlier this week, Bollinger announced the acquisition of Gulf Island Fabrication Inc.’s Terrebonne Parish shipyard facilities, expanding the company’s new construction and repair capacity and capabilities to better serve its key defense and commercial customers. The acquisition increases the shipyard’s growing new construction and repair portfolio. Gulf Island had been building the Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) for the U.S. Navy and Regional Class Research Vessels for the National Science Foundation and Oregon State University. These projects conveyed with the transaction. 

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. Surfman Glen Harris piloted the first wave of landing craft on Tulagi Island in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and also made a landing against a Japanese force on Guadalcanal Island.  Harris was awarded a Silver Star medal by Adm. Chester Nimitz for his heroic combat actions. 

The FRC is an operational “game changer,” according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are consistently being deployed in support of the full range of missions within the United States Coast Guard and other branches of our armed services.  This is due to its exceptional performance, expanded operational reach and capabilities, and ability to transform and adapt to the mission. FRCs have conducted operations as far as the Marshall Islands—a 4,400 nautical mile trip from their homeport. Measuring in at 154 feet, FRCs have a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art C4ISR suite (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot, over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat. 

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Navy demonstrated the successful integration of an unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft system with manned capabilities during the Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem 21 (UxS IBP 21) off the coast of San Diego, April 21, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs said in a release.  

The unmanned MQ-9B Sea Guardian operated in conjunction with a guided-missile cruiser, executing long-range, over-the-horizon targeting. Using sonobuoys and other assets, the Sea Guardian identified contacts and reported locations remotely to the commander on board the cruiser. 

“The integration between unmanned and manned capabilities shown today provides an operations approach to strengthening our manned unmanned teaming,” said Rear Adm. James A. Aiken, UxS IBP 21 tactical commander. “Putting our newest technology into our Sailors’ hands directly enhances our fleet.” 

Operational synchronization between unmanned capabilities and traditional manned naval assets ensures the Navy maintains its technological and warfighting advantage. Sea Guardian enhances the Navy’s antisubmarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, among many others. 

UxS IBP 21 is a U.S. Pacific Fleet exercise, executed by U.S. 3rd Fleet, designed to integrate manned and unmanned capabilities into operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. The week-long event involves surface, subsurface and aerial unmanned assets, operating with littoral combat ships, guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile cruisers, submarines and helicopter squadrons.