ARLINGTON, Va. — President Trump has ordered a review of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking polar security cutter (PSC) program, with a focus on exploring options for nuclear power, heavy armament and leasing stopgap icebreakers. 

In a June 9 memorandum from the White House to several federal departments, titled “Safeguarding U.S. National Interests in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions,” Trump ordered “a review of requirements for a polar security icebreaking fleet acquisition program to acquire and employ a suitable fleet of polar security icebreakers, and associated assets and resources, capable of ensuring a persistent United States presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions in support of national interests and in furtherance of the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy, as appropriate.” 

“Separately, the review shall include the ability to provide a persistent United States presence in the Antarctic region, as appropriate, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty System,” the memo said. 

The Coast Guard awarded a $745 million contract to VT Halter Marine in 2019 to build the lead PSC and has requested funds to construct a second PSC in the 2021 budget. The lead PSC is scheduled for delivery in 2024. The sea service has a requirement for six new icebreakers, including at least three PSCs. 

The Coast Guard has only one serviceable heavy ice breaker, the Polar Star, which was commissioned in 1976, available. The Polar Star makes an annual voyage to Antarctica to help resupply U.S. facilities on that continent. 

Trump also directed officials to study “the comparative operational and fiscal benefits and risks of a polar security icebreaking fleet that consists of at least three heavy [PSCs].” 

The study is to use the full range of missions that may be executed by medium PSCs so that the optimal number and type of PSCs needed to ensure a persistent presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.  

The study also will assess expanded capabilities for the PSCs, including unmanned systems, space systems and sensors to achieve maritime domain awareness; secure communications and data transfer systems; and intelligence-collection systems.  

The study also will evaluate “defensive armament adequate to defend against threats by near-peer competitors” such as China and Russia. 

The PSC is slated to be armed with .50-caliber machine guns for close-in defense, but the Coast Guard has in the past said it is open to the idea up-gunning the armament to include heavier weapons, including cruise missiles. 

The study also will look at the “potential for nuclear-powered propulsion” for the PSC fleet. The study also will identify at least two optimal basing locations and at least two international basing locations for the future icebreaker fleet. 

In recognition of the Polar Star’s condition, the study also will look at options to bridge a potential gap between the end of the Polar Star’s worthiness and the commissioning of the PSC fleet, considering leasing options of commercial icebreakers from partner nations. 

“Further, and in advance of any bid solicitation for future polar security icebreaker acquisitions, the Secretary of State shall coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify partner nations with proven foreign shipbuilding capability and expertise in icebreaker construction,” the memo said. 

In the memo, the president directed that the secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the Office of Management and Budget shall ensure that the Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter acquisition program “is not adversely impacted.”

MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter James crew on June 9 offloaded about 23,000 pounds of cocaine and approximately 6,900 pounds of marijuana, all worth more than an estimated $408 million, in Port Everglades, Florida, the Coast Guard said. 

The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and in the Caribbean Sea, including contraband seized and recovered during 11 interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by four Coast Guard cutters and two U.S. Navy ships: 

• The James was responsible for four interdictions, seizing about 8,400 pounds of cocaine and 3,350 pounds of marijuana. 
• The cutter Mohawk was responsible for one interdiction, seizing about 1,700 pounds of cocaine. 
• The cutter Confidence was responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 1,089 pounds of cocaine. 
• The cutter Escanaba was responsible for one interdiction, seizing about 2,200 pounds of cocaine. 
• The Navy’s USS Pinckney was responsible for two interdictions, seizing approximately 9,050 pounds of cocaine. 
• The Navy’s USS Lassen was responsible for two interdictions, seizing about 575 pounds of cocaine and 3,575 pounds of marijuana. 

“The roughly 15 tons of illicit narcotics being offloaded here today and the likely ensuing prosecutions, are the results of extraordinary teamwork and intelligence-driven operations,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said. 

“It is important to note that our fellow citizens aren’t the only ones who benefit from these counter-narcotics efforts. Our Central American neighbors face tremendous strain from drug-fueled violence sparked by transnational criminal organizations. Efforts like this enhanced counter-drug operation significantly disrupt the criminal activity destabilizing the region.” 

The James is a 418-foot national security cutter home ported in Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter Mohawk is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Key West, Florida. The Escanaba is a medium-endurance cutter homeported in Boston. The Confidence, a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter, is homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida. The Pinckney is a 510-foot Arleigh Burke-class destroyer homeported in Naval Base San Diego. The Lassen also is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer homeported in Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement crews have already interdicted a record-breaking number of lanchas throughout the Gulf of Mexico for fiscal year 2020, the Coast Guard 8th District said in a release. 

Since October 2019, Coast Guard assets and personnel have detected 176 lanchas and interdicted 106. Since the first recorded lancha interdiction in the late 1980s, the Coast Guard has seen a significant uptick in detection of these vessels, particularly in the past three years, recording a seasonal record of 74 lancha interdictions during the same time frame in the previous fiscal year. 

The Coast Guard utilizes a layered approach for interdiction through aircraft, small boats and cutters as well as improved technology on those assets, resulting in the drastic increase in lancha interdictions. 

“A huge part of our mission success comes from the dedication and close coordination between our local, state and federal partners,” said Lt. Kurt Mees, Coast Guard Station South Padre Island commanding officer. “We are all committed to the protection of marine resources and the enforcement of U.S. regulations.”  

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is about 20 to 30 feet long with a slender profile. They typically have one outboard motor and are capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 30 mph. Lanchas pose a major threat, usually entering the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico with the intent to smuggle people, drugs or poach U.S. natural resources. 

BELOIT, Wis. — Fairbanks Morse has completed the build and testing of the two main propulsion diesel engines for the U.S. Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter (OPC), the company said in a release. Fairbanks Morse was awarded contracts by the prime contractor, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, to build the two main engines for OPC Nos. 1 and 2. 

“We are incredibly pleased to have successfully completed testing for our OPC engine,” said George Whittier, CEO of Fairbanks Morse. “We are particularly proud to work with Eastern Shipbuilding and support them in their successful build of the first new generation of patrol cutter. Together we are proud to do our part in helping the U.S. Coast Guard keep our borders safe.” 

The OPC is a 360-foot vessel that will be powered by two FM | MAN 16V 28/33D STC diesel engines, with each engine rated 7,280 kWm (9,763 brake-horsepower) running at 1,000 revolutions per minute. These engines will be delivered to Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida. The first OPC engine has been built and was delivered in January 2020. Fairbanks Morse has completed testing on the PTO engine, which is expected to be delivered to Eastern Shipbuilding this month. 

Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding, congratulated Fairbanks and said, “Today marks another successful milestone in the OPC program. Our team continues to execute, and we are very pleased and excited to take delivery of and install these engines in USCGC Argus. This highly durable and reliable engine will support USCG missions for the next 40 years.” 

The OPC will provide a capability bridge between the national security cutter, which patrols the open ocean in the most demanding maritime environments, and the fast-response cutter, which serves closer to shore. The OPCs conduct missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A Coast Guard cutter in mid-May seized about 1,090 pounds of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of $18.7 million from a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a June 2 release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence to the go-fast vessel’s position.  

Once on scene, Confidence’s crew initiated a pursuit of the suspected smugglers who began throwing contraband overboard. Once the suspected smugglers complied with orders to stop their boat, the Coast Guard crew boarded the vessel and discovered the cocaine. Three suspected smugglers were detained.  

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations.  

The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the eastern Pacific is conducted under the authority of the 11th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.  

The Confidence is homeported out of Cape Canaveral and was commissioned in 1966.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Coast Guard seized approximately 3,350 pounds of marijuana in mid-May with an estimated value of approximately $6 million from a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a May 29 release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) to the go-fast vessel’s position. 

Once on scene, James’ crew initiated a pursuit of the suspected smugglers, who attempted to evade while throwing contraband overboard. 

The James’ Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew disabled the boat’s engines and a Coast Guard crew boarded the vessel, discovering four suspected smugglers and approximately 3,350 pounds of marijuana aboard. 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Royal Canadian Navy signed a five-year strategic plan Tuesday, laying the foundation for future coordination and joint operations, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a May 28 release. 

Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area; Vice Adm. Scott D. Conn, commander Navy 3rd Fleet; Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Bob Auchterlonie, commander Maritime Forces Pacific; and a small delegation of their staffs participated in a Three-Party Staff Talks (TPST) meeting via videoconference, which culminated in the signing of the strategic plan. 

“Whether it’s combating criminal activity by international drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific or strengthening maritime governance and the rule of law to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, we rely on our Navy and Canadian partners to maximize success,” Fagan said. “This strategic plan improves interoperability and coordination across our sea services, allowing us to more effectively secure our countries’ shared maritime safety, security and economic interests.” 

Staff from the three services collaborated in February ahead of Tuesday’s TPST during a multi-day working group, where the teams focused on joint operations, exercise planning and communications. 

The TPST meetings and working groups provide a face-to-face forum for discussions and planning opportunities for improving defense readiness, homeland security, fisheries enforcement, counter-drug law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations between the services. 

“We routinely operate together across many different mission sets,” said Conn. “However, we are always looking at ways to improve our interoperability and strengthen our partnership. Our staff talks provide a valuable forum to discuss and plan how we will continue working together to defend the homeland while ensuring a secure and stable maritime environment.” 

LOCKPORT, La. — Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the fast-response cutter (FRC) Myrtle Hazard to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, the company announced on May 28. 

The Myrtle Hazard is the 162nd vessel that Bollinger has delivered to the Coast Guard in 35 years and the 39th FRC delivered under the current program. 

The cutter is the first of three FRCs to be homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the presence for the Coast Guard in the Indo-Pacific. Later this year, Bollinger will deliver the first of six FRCs to be homeported in Manama, Bahrain, replacing Island-class patrol boats supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, the Coast Guard’s largest unit outside the United States. 

“Our latest delivery of the … Myrtle Hazard is an important milestone in the FRC program as it is the first of several vessels that will expand and support the Coast Guard’s operational presence and enhance the U.S.’s mission in the Indo-Pacific region — a focal point emphasized by both President Trump and [Coast Guard Commandant] Adm. [Karl L.] Shultz,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s president and CEO. “Building ships for the U.S. Coast Guard provides critical assets to bolster our national security interests, both domestic and abroad. We are proud and humbled to be partners in the FRC program.” 

The homeporting of three FRCs in Guam is part of the Coast Guard’s “doubling down on Oceania,” allowing more frequent and longer patrols in an area where the sea service has increased its presence over the past 18 months, aligning with priorities set in the 2018 National Defense Strategy to counter competitors such as China and Russia. 

Schultz stressed the strategic importance of the service’s presence in the region saying, “We’re on a trajectory where the geostrategic importance of the Oceania region has not been higher here in decades, and it’s a place that the Coast Guard’s looking to be part of the whole-of-government solution set.” 

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished himself or herself in the line of duty. A young mother in 1918, Myrtle Hazard answered a help-wanted ad for a qualified radio operator after graduating from a radio and telegraphy class at the Baltimore YMCA. 

Skilled in telegraphy and Morse code, the Coast Guard enlisted Hazard in January 1918, and she became the sea service’s first female electrician. Hazard worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., as an electrician’s mate third class and was promoted to electrician first class before being demobilized after the war ended. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutters Paul Clark and Joseph Tezanos crews recovered 11 bales of cocaine about 10 miles southwest of Desecheo Island on May 22, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a May 27 release. 

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located a debris field about 10 miles southwest of Desecho Island. The cutter Paul Clark crew arrived on scene and recovered 10 bales of cocaine weighing about 1,000 pounds from the debris field. The cutter Joseph Tezanos crew recovered an additional bale of cocaine in the vicinity weighing about 100 pounds the following day. 

All 11 bales of cocaine were transferred to the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force personnel. 

“The recovery of the 11 bales of cocaine offshore from Puerto Rico highlights the excellent work of the cutter Paul Clark, deployed to Puerto Rico from Miami and the MH-60 crew as well as the Puerto Rico based cutter Joseph Tezanos,” said Cmdr. Beau Powers, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. 

“The Coast Guard could not complete the interdiction cycle of success were it not for the outstanding interagency coordination of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force who supported the drug offload on a holiday weekend.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 3,100 pounds of cocaine in mid-May with an estimated value of $53.5 million from a low-profile go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard 11th District said in a release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James to the vessel’s position. 

Once on scene, the James crew boarded the vessel to find four suspected smugglers and initially discovered a small amount of cocaine aboard the vessel. 

The boarding team members later discovered an area of the ship that had been closed off, where they discovered the majority of the 3,100 pounds of cocaine. 

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. 

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with allied and international partner agencies play a role in counter-drug operations.