Future War and the U. S. Coast Guard

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The nature of combat at sea has changed enormously since the last great war ended 34 years ago. The nature of the Coast Guard’s peacetime responsibilities has changed just as drastically. As a result, even though antisubmarine warfare and gunfire support were that Service’s principal roles in wars past, many of the Coast Guard’s current ships and aircraft are not well suited to current antisubmarine and gunfire support tasks. Perhaps the only important exceptions are the twelve ships of the 29-knot Hamilton class of high endurance cutters, two of which, the Morgenthau (WHEC 122) and the Dallas (WHEC 716), are seen, opposite, racing through the calm seas of the Caribbean off Guantanamo Bay. Because their sensors and weapons come mainly from another era they may shortly be replaced. However, there is evidence that the wartime Coast Guard’s roles will be different from those in the past.

Te U. S. Navy has fewer men, fewer ships, and fewer resource⁵ of all sorts than it has had for a long time. Moreover, when one looks at the modest number of ships whose construction is begun in any given year, it becomes clear that in war, the Navy would be glad to get all the help it could find.

The most immediate source of help, consisting of officers an enlisted people, trained, disciplined, armed, and always ready, ** the U. S. Coast Guard. There are 37,000 officers and enlist people on active duty in the Coast Guard, ready to respond to the needs of the country afloat, aloft, and ashore.

Coast Guard cutters and their forerunners, the ships of the R^ev" enue Cutter Service, have taken part in every major conflict since 1799 when Congress decreed, albeit not too grammatically, “Revenue Cutters shall, whenever the President of the Unk^e States shall so direct, cooperate with the Navy of the Unite States.”

After more than 100 years of operation, the future of the R^eV' enue Cutter Service was threatened by a commission appointed ^t0 investigate the organization of the federal bureaucracy. That com mission recommended in 1912 that the Revenue Cutter Service b<j abolished, that its duties be divided among other agencies, an that its cutters be manned by civilians.

This led to a counterproposal, that the Revenue Cutter Servi^ce be combined with another maritime organization, the Life Savinf Service, to form a “coast guard.” With war erupting in Europe the counterproposal to strengthen the service as an armed fo^fCe appealed to Congress and, on 28 January 1915, President Wil⁵°ⁿ signed the Act to Create the Coast Guard. Among other thing^s’ the act declared that the Coast Guard "... shall constitute a P^afC of the military forces of the United States and which shall opera^te under the Treasury Department in time of peace and operate as ^a part of the Navy, in time of war or when the President shall ^s° direct. . .”

In July 194 1 Congress again stated: “The Coast Guard shall be ^a military service and constitute a branch of the land and navy for<T^s of the United States at all times. ...”

The act that transferred the Coast Guard to the new Departm^ef|t of Transportation in October 1966 contained the same statement-

What the Coast Guard Has Done

On 6 April 1917, the United States went to war with Germany. With the sending of a short coded message (“Plan 1, Acknowledge.”) all Coast Guard officers, men, cutters, and stations were transferred immediately to the Navy.

At once, the Navy grew by 5,200 officers and men, along with 25 cruising cutters, 20 harbor cut­ters, and 280 lifeboat stations. These were neither mobilized reserve units nor untrained recruits, but experienced mariners manning operational units complete with a structure of 17 regional commands and four logistic depots.

The cruising cutters were fitted with heavier ar­mament than they needed in peacetime and some were assigned to convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic. Six were ordered to Gibraltar and escorted shipping between the British Isles and the Mediter­ranean. Other cutters escorted shipping in United States and Canadian coastal waters, in the vicinity of the Azores, and in the Caribbean.

As the U-boat attacks intensified, men from the lifeboat stations were called upon frequently to rescue the crews of ships torpedoed along the coast of the United States.

When the war came to an end it was clear that, in proportion to their number, the men of the Coast Guard had suffered more casualties than any other branch of the Armed Forces.

Twenty years passed and then the world went to war again. Five days after Hitler’s invasion of Poland in September 1939, President Roosevelt declared the neutrality of the United States.

The Coast Guard was made responsible for pre­venting warlike acts within U. S. waters by mer­chant vessels of any country and, to this end, the Service began extensive patrols both by aircraft and by cutters. Coastal stations also participated. Every foreign vessel entering U. S. waters was identified, boarded, and inspected. Merchant ships of bellige­rent countries had their radios sealed while within those waters.

In June 1940, after the fall of France and the Low Countries, the President invoked the powers con­ferred on him by the Espionage Act of 1917, which permitted him to control the movement of all ves­sels, both foreign and domestic, in the waters of the United States. Thus began the Coast Guard’s role in port security. The Service was empowered not only to inspect any vessel in U. S. waters at any time, but also to place guards on board the ships, or to remove the crews.

As submarine and surface attacks on North Atlan­

tic shipping grew, Coast Guard cutters sharing n^eU' trality patrols with the Navy (mainly in waters o Greenland) frequently were called upon to rescue the survivors of sunken ships. Ten of the Services 5 cruising cutters were turned over to the Royal Navy- At 2,000 tons standard displacement, capable of 1 knots, and armed with two 5-inch guns as well as depth charges, they were ships well suited to escort work.                                                      .

Then, on 1 November 1941, the President th rected that the Coast Guard operate under the Navy- The order of the President provided the Navy an additional 27,000 trained officers and men, with 26 cruising cutters, 49 coastal patrol cutters, many smaller craft, 56 airplanes, and a host of shore sta tions. The long-standing close coordination between the Navy and the Coast Guard in training, supP^j. and communications made the organizational shift ⁰ this magnitude possible with little disruption to th^e functions of either Service.

All cutters and patrol boats capable of offshore op erations were provided additional weapons and etn ployed in convoy escort and patrol duties. As the wa^f intensified, Coast Guard crews manned not only their own Service’s ships, but also some of the Navy destroyer escorts and all the Navy’s frigates. In ^r'^ie Atlantic, cutters, patrol boats, and other Coas¹ Guard-manned ships sank ten U-boats, and a Coa^st Guard aircraft sank an eleventh.        ^

The Coast Guard was called upon to train an provide crews for landing craft, and to man amphih¹^ ous ships, transports, tankers, and supply ships- all, the Coast Guard manned 351 of the Nav)'^s ships, 288 of the Army’s, and 802 of its own- ⁰ consequence, almost half of the Coast Guar

170,0            officers and men served afloat.

Port protection became a major function. A facilities were patrolled to prevent sabotage. Port s^e curity specialists, supplemented by 45,000 temP⁰^ rary members of the Coast Guard Reserve, supervise the handling and loading of explosive cargoes.

The addition of wartime duties did not mean aⁿ end to peacetime tasks. As thousands of distress ca were received, rescue activities were expand greatly. Over 1,500 survivors of torpedoed shipj were rescued along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts an in the Caribbean, and more than 4,000 more in ^t^^e Atlantic and Mediterranean. Many 83-foot wooden hulled patrol cutters were assigned rescue duties 6°^r ing the invasion of France at Normandy. Under f'^re from German guns, these swift little craft picked ^UP 1,568 survivors of sunken landing craft.

Another peacetime mission which grew during war was that of providing aids to navigation, °°

So

^CaUed

*^{n s}‘^2e> to about 35,000 officers and men.

b ^ ^uoy^{s a}nd similar devices of local importance, wh' :^1S° ^neW’ l°ⁿg'^range electronic systems, of ^ Loran proved to be the most successful. _tj ^{e tas}*<s, of the civilian Bureau of Marine Inspec- q               ^anc^ Navigation     were transferred   to the Coast

As                      ¹ *ⁿ from    the            Department of Commerce,

the ^reSu^’ ^r^^e Coast Guard inspected and certified lie ^COnstruction of all merchant ships, and it ^Seani ^an^ ^cert'^'^e<^ nnerchant officers, pilots, and du ' ^Cn  these programs were much more active

^Ing the war than they had been beforehand.

_Was° *°^wtⁿg the end           of   the war, the      Coast Guard

Onl            ^em°hdized and    in                            1947 its size           had sunk to

18,687 officers and men.

the ₍^Llr'ⁿ8 ^t'^le Korean conflict, which began in 1950, Ports °^aSt ^^Uar<^ teturned to the task of safeguarding Co ^S' ^^arb°^rs> ^and waterways. In all major cities a p_0rt^St ^^uard officer was appointed Captain of the ets ' ^an<^ tfariners, pilots, and waterfront work- _ris-^e checked to insure that they were not security

Ushecp^'ti⁰¹¹’ ^r^^ree new ocean stations were estab-

t*0n ^{ln C}^^e ^^ac‘^^{c t0} P^rov*de SAR and communica-

i_nf_o ^Services as well as accurate and reliable weather

trnation to the ships and aircraft headed toward *vore_a Tu t

-j, ^itle Loran system was expanded. b]_e(j . these needs, the Coast Guard was dou- /*^e 15 years later, in 1965, the Coast Guard was

f_ro ^upon to help prevent weapons and supplies _sive ^reach'ng the Viet Cong by sea along the exten­ds °^uth Vietnamese coast. The mission called for l₀ty ^SrnaH enough to work in South Vietnam’s shal- p_etlc|^COastal waters but large enough to cruise inde- Cua_rj^nt^ ^ancl ^to carry a heavy armament. The Coast typn ^{met t}*^{le neec}l by deploying 26 new 82-foot Th^atrol boats.

Scj_Ua^^{e Se}lbsustained craft, comprising Coast Guard *e_athe7ⁿ°^ne’ were able to operate in almost any ^er> unsupported, for periods of up to a week.

They carried a trigger-fired, flat-trajectory 81-mm mortar and five .50-caliber machine guns. In less than three months from the decision to deploy them, 17 of these craft were armed, equipped, provided with trained crews, and on duty in Vietnam’s waters. They formed the inner barrier of Operation Market Time (TF 115). An additional nine WPBs and many 54-foot Navy Swift boats followed a few months later.

The 82-footers patrolled coastal and river waters in search of junks and sampans filled with enemy arms, ammunition, and supplies. In addition to disrupting Viet Cong supply lines, the WPBs were called upon frequently to provide gunfire support for ground forces, to participate in amphibious raids, to evacuate wounded men, and to conduct psychological warfare missions.

Beginning in 1967, a squadron of five high endurance cutters was formed to participate in the outer barrier of Market Time. Commonly, these

from

earned advanced degrees in engineering, many

agement, or legal training. Some also have attem the National, Naval, Army, or Air war colleges, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, or Armed Forces Staff College.

Those officers and warrant officers specializing Marine Safety undergo three years of training order to qualify as marine inspectors. Classro¹ training is interspersed with practical experience the field. About 700 officers and warrant ofn^c have completed or are now taking marine sai ^ training. Once qualified, they can expect to rem in that field for most of their careers.

The commissioned warrant officer corps is nun¹

de

es^c

ships also provided gunfire support for friendly forces ashore. They served until the end of American par­ticipation in the war. Many of the 36 high endurance cutters the Service then possessed served in the squadron, some for several tours.

New Loran C stations were established in South­east Asia to provide highly accurate navigational as­sistance to our ships and aircraft. A buoy tender pro­vided for local navigational aids. Explosive loading teams supervised and assisted in the handling of the vast quantities of ammunition being shipped to Vietnam. A merchant marine detail, attached to the embassy in Saigon, assisted with the investigation of merchant vessel and personnel casualties. And some Coast Guard helicopter pilots (but no Coast Guard aircraft) conducted rescue missions with the Air Force’s “Jolly Green Giants.”

When the United States withdrew from Vietnam, all 26 WPBs and four old 311-foot high endurance cutters were turned over to the South Vietnamese.

What the Coast Guard Has

Let us examine and evaluate the resources that are available now. We will start with people, and then follow up with cutters, aircraft, and shore units.

Officers and Enlisted Personnel

The most important resource that the Coast Guard has to offer is its trained and ready people. Admiral Owen W. Siler summarized the value of the Service’s

37,0              active duty and 12,000 selected reserve men and women in his article, “Tradition of Excellence, Time of Change,” in the March 1976 Proceedings: “While we have many professional specialists, we are essentially generalists, trained in many skills and ready to serve in many roles.”

Officers The active duty officer corps consists of 4,750 commissioned officers and 1,350 commis­sioned warrant officers.

Nearly all of the officers beyond the grade of lieu­tenant junior grade, and all warrant officers, hold regular commissions. About one-half of the officers in the lower two grades are reservists serving a three-year tour of active duty.

Warrant officers aside, 55 percent of the officers are graduates of the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut. Another 20 percent came up through the ranks. The remaining 25 percent are former reserve officers who now hold regular com­missions, or reservists on active duty contracts. There are 900 cadets at New London, from whom come 200 ensigns annually. The Reserve Training Center

at Yorktown, Virginia, annually commissi°^nS another 150 men and women.          .

The level of sea experience among the officers ^lS high, some 70 percent of those beyond the first t"° grades having had duty on board one or more cut ters. Of these, about 25 percent have served as com manding officers afloat. With the deep slash a f^e'^v years ago in the number of major cutters, both the^s(j figures may decline. Currently, only 14 percent ⁰ the 4,750 officers and 18 percent of the 1,350 rant officers are serving afloat. (The percentage of ⁰ ficers in aviation billets is similar—17.) The Com mandant has indicated his strong desire to maintam the Service’s seagoing nature and has continued tl>^e policy of assigning all Academy graduates to duty afloat immediately after commissioning in ship^{s 0} 180 feet in length or longer. About 15 percent ⁰ newly commissioned reserve officers are also sent sea upon commissioning, while a similar portion g^c into aviation.              ^

While Coast Guard officers possess a range skills needed to perform in several general ^m‘^sSl0J areas, over 60 percent of those beyond their im¹¹ tour of duty have also undergone considerable l°ⁿ£ term specialized training. One quarter of them h‘^lV the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey. Anoth^ quarter have completed flight training at PensaC and additional Coast Guard instruction at the A^v*^ tion Training Center in Mobile, Alabama. Of

other officers, most have obtained industrial, na*¹¹¹

•ide^d the

the

oh¹

in

up of officers in twelve specialties, the three larg __ of which are boatswain, naval engineering, and tronics. Together these constitute 60 percent of warrant corps, divided about evenly among ^ three. The next largest specialty is finance and snP^ ply, followed by personnel administration. The ^ maining 15 percent of the corps is divided am⁰ ^ seven smaller specialties. The large number of ^vV ^ rant officers in the Coast Guard provides the Ser with continuity in their specialty areas.

^{n lste}^ Alerc and Women There are 31,000 enlisted ^{111611 an}d women on active duty, of whom about 775 ^re women. Two-thirds of the enlisted are petty offi- ^6rs’ ^serving in 27 different ratings. Each year 7,500 ^{n an}d women enlist and are trained at one of two tuit training centers, Cape May, New Jersey, and Alameda, California.

the                           there was a drop in recruiting following

l-^{6 en<}^ the Vietnamese conflict, that is well be- ^us> and for some time the Coast Guard has ex- enced no significant difficulties in recruiting ■ "^cabber young men and women. The training ^en the newly enlisted personnel is similar to that _a ^{6n t}^^le Navy’s recruits. It lasts nine weeks and, ⁿg other things, includes military drill, range _         ,^lce’ the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and

^Small boat handling.

About 4,000 of the non-rated personnel are pro- _cj_as^{6 ever}y year to the grade of petty officer third ^SeVenty^five P^ercent °f these have completed p ^ss A school. Coast Guard petty officer schools at _errio ^Urna, California, Yorktown, Virginia, and Gov- _ra(.. ^rs ^land, New York, provide training for most the ^^S’ ^^{Ut Nay}y ^scbools are used to train four of _tech^{aVlation ra}tings, as well as quartermasters, sonar ^lcians, and fire control technicians. Those for ^oted ^{a SC}^⁰⁰^ ^^{as not} been established are pro- j_c ^on the basis of their performance in serv- _strjk ^{6 exarr}>inations and their practical training as

Advanced petty officer training is conducted in 300 different short-term Class C schools, of which more than half belong to the Navy. The others are schools belonging to the Coast Guard, other Services, or industry. At least one-third of the Coast Guard’s petty officers attend a Class C school every year, and some attend more than one.

Current cutter manning is about 20 percent below wartime complements, but enough men of the re­quired rates are available either on shore duty or in Reserve shipboard augmentation units to bring the cutters up to complement. In wartime regular petty officers of the required ratings serving ashore would be relieved by Reservists to provide additional seago­ing rates for shipboard duty.

The first-tour reenlistment rate currently is 25 percent. The rate for subsequent enlistments is 77 percent. This permits the Coast Guard to maintain an adequate petty officer rate distribution to meet peacetime needs.

Unlike petty officers and noncommissioned officers in the other Services, Coast Guard petty officers share with commissioned and commissioned warrant offi­cers a specific responsibility to enforce U. S. laws on the high seas and waters over which the United States has jurisdiction. In consequence, all petty offi-

independently. The number and characteristics of different classes of cutters are shown in the accon¹ panying table.

To carry out the Coast Guard’s missions, the Sef^v ice’s cutters normally must be able to operate m pendently of resupply support. Because of this, ^usU ally they are slower than naval vessels, but ha^vC greater range and endurance than the latter.

gas-turbitt^e

:-ontrollabl^e

cers must have both a general knowledge of Coast Guard law enforcement duties and a specific knowl­edge of the laws their particular duties require them to enforce.

The Reserve The Coast Guard Ready Reserve, about

22,0              strong, is made up of two separate elements, the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Re­serve. The former consists of 11,700 men and women in a paid drill status, while the latter consists of about 10,000 persons, most of whom, having completed their tour of active duty, still must serve in the reserve to satisfy their statutory obligation. They do not drill, but do carry a pocket card with their mobilization assignment, and the Coast Guard keeps them informed on Service matters in general and Reserve matters in particular.

Port security is the wartime mission of 80 percent of the reservists. The remainder are assigned to aug­ment cutter crews, to assist in forward area search and rescue, to help in aids to navigation tasks, and to take part in general administrative work.

In September 1977 the 210-foot cutter Reliance, assigned to the reserve training center at Yorktown, underwent refresher training with 30 percent of her crew replaced by reservists. The ship made the sec­ond highest score of the year among all Navy and Coast Guard vessels.

In 1971 the emphasis in reserve training was shifted from classroom lectures to participation in regular Coast Guard missions. The new concept has been highly successful not only because it provides practical operational training but also because it fos­ters an excellent state of readiness and a spirit of cooperation and appreciation between regulars and reservists.

The high state of morale at the reserve units is one of the major benefits of the new concept. The reserv­ists have a sense of accomplishment and belonging which was not possible with a program consisting mainly of classroom training. The evidence of this increased morale and interest is the fact that nowa­days over 90 percent of the Selected Reserve is made up of volunteers.

Early in 1973 an extensive exercise was conducted to determine the readiness of the Coast Guard Re­serve. Each member of the Selected Reserve was queried to determine his availability for call to active duty. The result showed that over 95 percent were available and ready to report within three days. All units reported they could be fully operational within 15 days. In 1976 the Individual Ready Reserve re­ported a 70 percent readiness to report within 30 days.

These exercises indicated that there would be ^a shortage of 4,000 personnel to fill mobilization bi lets. If the authorization and funding were availably it is anticipated that this number could be recruite without much difficulty. In the meantime, the shortage would be met by recalling retired personne and insuring that important billets were filled fi^rst;

The Office of Reserve is able to invest its funds ¹¹¹ training rather than in hardware because most of the reserve units are located with operational units an_ this reduces the need for training facilities spe^cl ically for the reservists. However, there are som^e training centers and about 120 boats of various siz^eS used by reservists where there are no reg^u^ facilities, or where their use by reservists won interfere with the accomplishment of regular sions.

Cutters                                                                                   ,

There are about 240 cutters of over a dozen di ferent types, ranging in size from the 13,000 ^c°^ and 399 feet of the Polar class icebreakers to the tons and 65 feet of the smaller inland buoy tended- All have an assigned personnel allowance and habi^ta bility for extended operating by their permanent y assigned crews. As proved in Vietnam, this provi even the smallest of them with the ability to opet^ate

High Endurance Cutters The twelve modern 378-f°° high endurance cutters of the Hamilton class haV great potential for conventional operations with ^c Fleet in time of war and they participate regularly ¹ exercises.

Powered by a combined diesel and propulsion system, and equipped with pitch propellers, these ships are very handy. Frt>ⁿ dead in the water they can reach a speed of 29 kn⁽ in less than two minutes, and they can stop fr⁰^ that speed in less than two ship lengths. They have range of 14,000 nautical miles at 1 1 knots and ¹ 2,400 miles at 29 knots.

The 378s are equipped with SQS-38 sonar, hull-mounted version of the VDS SQS-35. It higher-frequency, shorter-ranged sensor than are SQS-23, -26, and -53, and, in shallow waters R likely to be more effective than the others. Each 0

pie '^{eS S}'^X                    torpedo tubes in two Mark 32 tri­

mounts for the Mark 44 or Mark 46 antisub- He i ^rorpedo. Once they carried a pair of _re keh°g_s> but those obsolete weapons have been lari>~^Ve<^           flight deck can handle helicopters

as

their future usefulness in such a role is doubt- °netheless, it is anticipated that they will re-

ful

flight^{aS r}^^{e H} ^^{Ut n0t comfortabl}y- While the

thei/ *^S *^ar®^{e enou}gh ^t0 handle the Lamps helo, ‘ble ^{Sensor ar|}d weapon systems are not now compat- Pro              ^bamP^s- The ships’ systems could be im-

f_0rth ^{so as t0} operate the Lamps I, but not the Sear ^C<)rn'ⁿ8 Lamps III. They are equipped with ECM is _r ^atlC^ ^bave ^extensive communications facilities. It h_e ■ °^nable to expect that in war these ships would form ^tegratt'^d quickly into the Navy’s antisubmarine _syste ^lons- A study of the class’s sensor and weapon "’ill t,^{S W}'^d begin shortly. Presumably, the systems p_ro- ■ ^{en be} improved in accordance with the ships’ _enc^g_u^tted missions and the threats they are likely to

V’/^g °f these ships mounts a single outmoded r_e[3|      ^{<>n c}he forecastle and conceivably that will be

8 k ^Ce<a ^ ^a more modern weapon. The pair of brid^^{01 rnortars} once found just forward of the Th^ ^{WaS remove}d some time ago. f_0ot ^{ere are} five of the very old steam-driven 327- w_ere^{CUtters st}'d *ⁿ commission. While these ships b_Pro ^excebent antisubmarine units in World War II,

kflijsp r ,               .                                   _

thei_r °^{r their} S^reat age, their outdated sonars, de_ri. ^rn°^dest endurance, and their lack of a helicopter

. '-7 their                                                   ,                               ,                  .       ■      ,        , ■ N main in commission until 1980, even though all are now over 40 years of age. They could still be used effectively for command and control of patrol boats. In Vietnam, they were used for offshore barrier oper­ations and often provided gunfire support with their single 57.38.

The elderly 311-foot cutter Unimak was recom­missioned recently to assist in the enforcement of the new 200-mile fisheries zone. Designed for the Navy before World War II as a seaplane tender, the diesel-driven Unimak might still be able to serve as a tender for small craft. One 327-footer is in reserve. She shares the qualities of the five still in commis­sion. Until 1976 the Coast Guard kept five 255-foot steam-driven cutters in reserve, but these stubby ships are now gone.

Medium Endurance Cutters Sixteen 210-foot medium endurance cutters are in commission. These ships, though small, are provided with a helo deck suitable for a light helicopter, and are used extensively in law enforcement and search and rescue missions. They

regularly undergo Navy underway training and, like the high endurance cutters, use fleet training centers for the training of their people.

They were constructed with provision for a hull- mounted sonar. But there are no such systems cur­rently in the U. S. inventory that would be suitable for mounting in these ships. Until one becomes available, perhaps from Norway or West Germany, the use of a towed array probably would be the best alternative if they were assigned an ASW mission.

The single 3"/50 mounted on the forecastle is adequate for law enforcement purposes, such as encouraging a reluctant drug smuggler to heave to, but would be useless against almost any conceivable military aircraft or missile. As a result of the ships’ shallow draft, the selection of a suitable replacement mount is difficult. Because of its effect on stability, any additional topside weight must be strictly con­

trolled. For this reason there is little room for chok in picking a rapid-fire weapon and control syst^elfl The 76-mm mount planned for the forthcoO¹'⁰ 270-foot medium endurance cutters cannot be commodated. While there is no acceptable repl^a_^ce ment in the Navy system, there are several f°^re1^__ and domestic lightweight smaller caliber gun terns that could provide an acceptable measure self-defense against air or missile attack. The 30'ⁿ j GAU-8 Gatling gun manufactured in the Un^|te States by General Electric is one such.                                                                                                   ^

These cutters are equipped with a full rang^e j communications equipment. They have a range 6,100 miles at 14 knots and 2,700 miles at ^c^^e maximum speed of 18 knots.               ^

Six old former Navy seagoing tugs (ATF and S ^ are also classified as medium endurance cutters ^afl^ used by the Coast Guard for offshore patrol duties^

ci,

95'

82'

110'

85'

' ass By C^gtb

205'

143'

(Harbor Tug, Small WYTL)-

Total of 15 65' class — (Buoy Tenders, Seagoing WLB)- 1,025     37'           13' Diesel Electric

1/1,200           13          4 armed with

1 3750 Remainder have 40 mm Machine guns

lot/ ^Tmders- Coastal WL ^alofl5

ffi,

¹33' to 177'

) J Tenders, Inland lVI

(Construction Tenders, Inland WLIC) Total of 10     75'

(Buoy Tenders. River WLR)

Total of 18    65' to I 15'

(Lightships WLV)

Total of 3     128'

(Training Ships lVIX)

Total of 1    295' Sailing Vessel

small i

vv_at;e '^breaker, the 230-foot Storis, used in Alaskan ’ ^Was reclassified some years ago as a medium ^vvhi_cyj^{anCe cutter}- She is armed with a single 3”/50, th_e ^C ^^as keen used to protect Alaskan waters from 'j.^^ncroachm^ents of illegal foreign fishing vessels.¹ rn_ecj. ⁶ ^^{rst two} of a projected class of 26 270-foot t*₀nal^{Urn en<}^^urance cutters are expected to be opera- ^^uar 1 *ⁿ               These ships will both meet Coast

^ahd peacetime needs for law enforcement, search ^rescue, and environmental protection, and be

' Cr _{an ex}

Central                    °f this, sec James W. Moreau, “The Coast Guard in the

hp. 277 278)^^eStern ^^aC,^^c’ Broteedio^s (Naval Review issue, May 1973, able to make a significant contribution to the Navy’s antisubmarine capabilities.

They will be able to accommodate all Coast Guard helicopters, the Navy’s current ASW helos (including the SH-3), and the forthcoming Lamps III. A tele­scoping hangar will permit the deployment of helos on board (it will not accommodate fhe SH-3) for ex­tended periods. Fin stabilization (something their bigger sisters lack) and a new recovery, securing, and traversing system will enable air operations to be conducted in heavy weather.

The vessels will carry the new Mark 75 76-mm gunmount and the Mark 92 fire control system, and will have space and weight reserved for a close-in air

^!W_ar

A boarding crew from the Sherman sets off to visit a vessel suspected of breaking the law. Early in any major war, similar tasks may often fall to the Coast Guard as hostile fishing vessels in nearby waters are seized and brought into port. Notice the 81-mm mortar in the background. This weapon has since been removed.

defense system, perhaps Phalanx. They will also have provision for Harpoon if it is needed. For ASW, the ships will be equipped with a towed passive tactical sonar and modular sensor system. They will have a modest top speed of a bit less than 20 knots, with an endurance at that speed of 4,500 miles. At 14 knots they will be able to cruise 8,400 miles without re­fueling which will enable them to operate indepen­dently for extended periods. They will be able, of course, to refuel at sea. In peacetime they will nor­mally carry provisions for a 21-day underway period.

Icebreakers This nation’s only surface ships capable of polar operations are the Coast Guard’s icebreakers. Two of them, the 13,000-ton Polar Star class, are new ships with highly sophisticated systems and combined diesel and gas turbine engines which, to­gether, can deliver 78,000 shaft horsepower to three controllable pitch propellers. The Coast Guard has three other icebreakers capable of extended polar op­erations and one that, because of her fresh-water cool­ing system, is restricted to operations on the Great Lakes. Three of these are of World War II vintage. One replacement icebreaker will be requested in the budget for fiscal year 1980.

The Polar class was constructed without guns, and the World War Il-style armament on the other large icebreakers has been removed. The vintage weapons and ammunition added noticeably to the ships’ main­tenance costs and personnel requirements. Removing them not only saved men and money but also gave the icebreakers greater freedom to carry out explora­tion and research in the Arctic, particularly north of Siberia. Moreover, by removing the guns from these ships, they are also able to avoid the international inspection requirements placed on armed ships operating in Antarctic waters.

Though the twin 5"/38 mounts formerly on the Glacier and the icebreakers of the Wind class could be reinstalled in the event of conflict, it is doubtful that they would really provide protection against air or missile attack. If current evaluations prove satis­factory, the new Polar class ships will mount a pair of single-barrel Mk 19 40-mm guns and a pair of .50 caliber machine guns to provide some self-defense.

There will be six interchangeable mounts for the^se weapons.

This small fleet provides the United States with ^a modest ice operating capability when compared w¹ the Soviet Union which has more than 40 major breakers, but then to support commerce to and fr^ofa I her many cold water ports that country needs m^a more such ships than we do. Aside from a pair ^aS^ signed to aid commerce in the Great Lakes, our <^c^ breakers are used mainly for support of Air Force ^sC^ tions in western and southwestern Greenland and ¹ northern Alaska, and for support of scientific stat*⁰ in the Antarctic.

Patrol Craft There are 75 WPBs of the 82- and 9 ^ foot classes in operation. As we have seen, 26 82-'^c Point class cutters were used in Vietnam, and ¹ left there when the Americans departed. Tn

were

cutters proved to be both seaworthy and extrem ^ reliable under the demands of a high tempo op^ef‘^l tion. In their first full year in Vietnamese wa^tef^ they averaged 266 days underway on patrol, ^{a v} high level.

ely

The crew accommodations make these vessels

sustaining, without much need for shore supP'

and this provides a high degree of flexibility in

use.

lOd’

the‘^r

The older class, the 95-footers, have a rang^e j 3,000 miles at 9 knots and 460 miles at a full ^sP^e^_f of 20 knots. The 82-footers have a slightly g^rea^j maximum-speed range, 490 miles at 23 knots, ‘ about half the economical-speed range of the e^af class. Those that deployed to Southeast Asia na^a

an¹

■lief

potent, yet econom-

some time to come.

^e transit from the Philippines to Vietnam with one ^erway ^refueling from an accompanying LST. _s ^{Is t}yP^e of vessel could be valuable in providing ri], ^°^{rt t0} countries threatened by terrorist or guer- ^a activities in coastal areas. The addition of a light ssi e system could make them ^aI’ resources.

lSrTf ^en^^ers Some 30 seagoing buoy tenders of the ^estabi°^{0t C}^^aSS ^^)u'*^t during World War II are used to th^ ^an^ ^ma*ⁿtain major aids to navigation su ^0l|^^^{0ut t}d^e waters of the United States, and to PP^y remote Loran and light stations, bow ^r^^{ese s}bips were constructed with icebreaker

M^s and some have been modified with reinforced ' ^inat ability was put to good use in the recent on ,^Wlnters’ ^not °nly in the Great Lakes, but also bo ⁶ ^^aSt ^^oast- Each is equipped with a 20-ton l°^r buoy and cargo work.

_stea ^{Cause 31 econom}lcal speed (7.5 knots) they can ^              13,000 miles and at maximum speed (13

^{S the}y ^can g° 4,500 miles, these tenders are ^and u^SeC^ *ⁿ distant waters, such as those of Alaska r _e Western Pacific. In addition to their other _rriQte ’ ^niey provide fuel, water, and supplies to re- pj_ers ^Uruts- Because many of the stations are without ^^each ^ten<^^ers obrcn deliver their supplies in are ^Cra^^{t or} *ⁿ floating pipelines. Though they _reno ^ery old, many of these useful ships are being Suite^ate<^ ^an<^ ^{WC Can ex}P^ect rb^em to be around for

'J’l

f_0r ^e ^^0asr Guard also has 65 other buoy tenders ^ran ^W°^f^ ‘n coastal, inland, and river areas. They j_n ^R^^ln l^ength from 65 to 177 feet. All are engaged i_ty '^-navigation work that requires boom capac- ⁿ some construction capability.

Carboy ' 1'        -r,                                                                1

There are 29 harbor tugs, including

thirteen 110-footers, which are used in domestic ice­breaking and rescue work. Some of these will soon be replaced by a new class of 140-foot WYTMs. The first of a projected class of fifteen has been delivered.

The most significant improvements in the new class are their higher horsepower, greater speed, and increased range compared to their predecessors. They are also able to break substantially thicker ice.

In addition to icebreaking and search and rescue, the tugs are used for port safety and security, enforcement of laws and treaties, and marine environmental protection. The new cutters have a cruising range of 4,000 miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of 14.7 knots.

All of the harbor tugs are self-sustaining, and could be relocated with a minimum of shore support to areas where new mission needs develop. In fact, during World War II some of the 110-footers were sent to Iceland. They steamed there from the East Coast and back on their own keels. Their towing qualities would be especially important in wartime.

Aircraft

Some 55 fixed-wing airplanes and 116 helicopters are in use, divided into four types classified by search and rescue functions: long range search, medium range search, medium range recovery, and short range recovery. The characteristics of the individual aircraft are shown in Table 2.

Long-Range Search The Lockheed HC-130 Hercules is a long-range, all-weather airplane that can operate from unprepared fields. It can carry 92 passengers or 35,000 pounds of cargo. Just as those of the other Services, in war Coast Guard C-130S could supply forward areas or remote stations.

Table 2

AIRCRAFT

Under normal loading conditions—10 or 12 tons of cargo—a C-130B can fly 2,300 nautical miles at

290 knots. A C-130H with the same load can fly 3,300 nautical miles at 300 knots. At light fuel load a C-130 can fly at a speed of 325 knots, but, of course, only for a short distance. Under normal con­ditions, the C-130B can get by with 3,650 feet of runway and the H model, carrying the same load, with 3,200 feet. Most of the Service’s isolated sta­tions can provide the necessary runway, though some light stations must be supplied by sea. In case of war, these aircraft could continue to be used for search and rescue or assume additional wartime duties. Their large cargo capacity would permit them to carry ASW or surveillance equipment.

Medium-Range Search The very old twin-engine HU-16 amphibian is still in use, and some will re­main so until 1980. But 41 Falcon 20G aircraft are on the way, and all will be in use by 1981. The new aircraft, designated HU-25 A, has many advantages over the HU-16 it is replacing, but while the HU-16 can get aloft on 2,000 feet of runway, the new air­craft requires 5,000 feet.

The new twin-jet aircraft will have a top speed of 500 knots and the ability to cruise at less than 220 knots at a search altitude of 2,000 feet. The aircraft is to have an all-weather capability with an endurance that will permit it to proceed 150 mil^{eS tl}’ sea, cover 700 square miles in a low-level search, an return 200 miles to base. It will have a crew of f'^ve and be equipped with forward-looking and side looking airborne radar, infrared/ultraviolet line scan ners, active-gated TV, and an aerial reconnaissance camera. The plane will have a 3,200-pound payl°^a and be capable of airdropping emergency suppl*^{eS t(}j. a distressed vessel. Its slow search speed will- ⁰ course, increase the chance of finding the soug¹ people or objects.

The new aircraft will also have hardpoints for ^r mounting of pods for a variety of surveillance °^r communications equipment.

Air Force for combat SAR. The Coast Guard’s air^cfa resemble the Air Force version. With the addition

armor, an inflight refueling probe, and some tank alterations, it could be used to supplement

fuel

t^

th^e

latter mission. It would be more difficult to alter ^

HH-3F to meet the needs of ASW, which would ¹ • • •

elude arranging for a dipping sonar to penetrate hull.

f

Medium-Range Recovery The HH-3F is an ampin ¹ ous, twin-turbine helicopter with a range of ' ^ miles (which permits recoveries to be made as nnn as 300 miles from base—on occasion they have g°ⁿ^. 330 miles unsupported) and a maximum speed ⁰ 142 knots. It is equipped with modern communR*¹ tions, a computerized navigation system, and ^ca|J carry six to eight passengers, cargo, stretchers, so¹¹¹ vehicles, or boats. It can land in waves of up to f°^uf or five feet, and winds of up to about 20 knots. * Navy uses a version of this aircraft for ASW and ¹¹

is usually accompanied by a fixed-wing

St;

^cont

^a*ntain boats and crews ready for rapid response stress calls. Sometimes, though not often, boats _c '      &° °ut as far as 100 miles offshore. Usually a

_t‘ ^trauy located group office coordinates the opera­^{S of}a number of stations.

24 ^{C s}^^orc units are supported and augmented by _ari^^{air sta}tions that can provide fixed-wing airplanes helicopters to conduct air searches as well as ¹ and medium range recoveries. Long range

^Search

^tended

Provide

^several

<*rin_e

M,

th^ort-R_ang_e R_ecnvery The largest number of aircraft ^at the Coast Guard has in operation is the single ^^Ur *^ne HH-52A. This light amphibious helo is being more and more for shipboard operations. It can Proceed 150 miles offshore at 90 knots, hover for 20 r®inutes or, if the sea is calm, land on the water, ^eCover four survivors, and return to base with re- ^rve fuel. Because it has only a single engine, the ^att is limited in the distance that it can operate

r_r ^corted from ship or base. For extended missions °‘fshore, it ^a*rcraft.

These helos have proved very effective on the fish- os and drug interdiction patrols. _t . ^e£’ⁿning in 1980, the Service hopes to buy 90 ^craft~^er9h^ne replacements for the HH-52A. The air- j sought after need not be amphibious, nor may _Ca more than 10,000 pounds. But it must be ^e °f 100 kn'ots maximum speed, of inflight re­in ⁿ^’ ^an<^ h°^vermg thirty minutes while rescu- •j-j^ ^t^^lree persons 150 nautical miles from station. ^e Squired crew size is three.

^Sh°r* Facilities

^e Coast Guard operates over 650 independent hav^ ^un’^ts m this country and overseas. While most ^an assigned primary mission, many engage in or of -k°^{rt severa}* different missions. A detailed listing ^{1 e} different types and numbers of units is pre­in Table 3

and Rescue These stations on the United ^ates mainland, Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii dually monitor distress radio frequencies and

to

aircraft are centrally located to provide ex- C u ^E*^{r searc}^ capability along each coast, in the bean, and in Alaskan and Hawaiian waters. °mbined with the air stations, the shore stations

a coordinated network that could accomplish in ^Wartime functions such as radiation monitor- to ^e^^ectron*^c surveillance of beaches, in addition ^{e tr}aditional life saving functions they have car- ^0ut m the wars past.

Safety Port safety stations are responsible for

the security of ports and anchorages and for the movement of vessels within the waters of the United States. Their tasks include fire prevention and the supervision of the loading and unloading of explo­sives and other dangerous cargoes.

Marine inspection offices inspect and regulate ves­sels to provide for the safety of crews, passengers, and cargoes. These offices license and regulate mer­chant marine personnel as well as act to protect their rights. They approve plans for construction, repair, or modification of vessels, investigate accidents and casualties, and perform various other regulatory func­tions.

The functions of both the Port Safety Station and the Marine Inspection Office are being combined into marine safety offices which carry out both mis^ sions as well as that of marine environmental protec­tion.

Vessel traffic services stations have been estab­lished in five major ports on the West and Gulf coasts. The first such in the East will be New York, in 1979. These, using radars and other sensors, pro­vide advisory traffic information to vessels in heavily congested ports and waterways. Probably more such systems would be set up in wartime to help protect shipping in other ports.

Aids to Navigation To aid in the navigation of ships and planes, the Coast Guard provides a full range of services. They extend from the establishment and maintenance of small river buoys for the use of local traffic to the erection of Loran towers over 1,300 feet tall for the transmission of timed pulses that provide navigational accuracy to within a matter of feet for the worldwide navigation of our forces.

There are over 50 loran stations around the world transmitting signals for Loran A and Loran C sys­tems. There are also chains operated by allied nations which receive technical assistance from the Coast Guard. A system of eight Omega stations has just been completed to provide additional electronic navigation capability throughout the world. The two in this country are operated by Coast Guard person­nel. The remainder are operated by host nations with varying degrees of support from the United States. Though the Navy still has responsibility for this sys­tem, full management and operation of the program will be transferred to the Coast Guard in 1980.

While many lighthouses have been automated, there are still 87 manned light stations. Among the assorted groups supporting aids to navigation are 50 independent teams which provide a highly responsive capability for repairing and maintaining fixed aids.

Program

Aids to Navigation

Commercial Vessel Safety

Commercial Vessel Safety and Port Safety and Security

Marine Science Activities

Port Safety and Security

Radionavigation Aids

Unit

Aids to Navigation Teams

Depots

Bases

Light Stations Light Attendant Stations Fog Signal Station Radio Beacon Station

Marine Inspection Offices Marine Inspection Details

Marine Safety Offices

Number

50

16

23

87

7

13

2

34

Program Director

Office of Marine Environment

and Sys*¹

ifltf ^^earc

H,

^eCff

Office of Merchant Marine Safety

Office of Merchant Marine Safety/ Office of Marine Environment and )

^s_ea

^je_ne

Reserve Forces

Oceanographic Unit

Port Safety Stations Vessel Traffic Service Stations Captain of the Port

Activities Europe Loran Stations C Loran Stations A-C Loran Stations A Loran Monitor Stations Loran Test Facility Omega Stations Section Offices

Reserve Training Center Organized Reserve Training Centers

Office of Operations

Office of Marine Environment an'

d Sy^ste

^tr>git

1

20

8

25

6

1

8

4

1

14

Office of Marine Environment

Office of Reserve

and Sy*“

-°rn_t

*"ian

^p«rso

Hifi,

Support

To support the organization of the Coast Guard, both operationally and administratively, there are Headquarters in Washington, D. C., area offices on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and 12 separate district headquarters throughout the country. There are also four overseas headquarters, one each in Eng­land, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Japan, to support and coordinate the activities of Coast Guard units in those areas.

Industrial support for operating units is provided by 23 bases, an aviation repair center at Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and the Coast Guard Yard. The Yard, located at Curtis Bay, Maryland, can maintain, repair, and modify all the Coast Guard’s ships and craft. It has built ships and boats, too. The largest such recently were four 210-foot medium endurance cutters.

Research to support Coast Guard programs an the development of required equipment is ^aL complished at the Research and Development Cen ter, Groton, Connecticut, and the Electron¹¹- Engineering Center, Wildwood, New Jersey. The a^L tivities of these units has increased recently with ^c^^e great involvement of the Coast Guard in the dete^c tion and cleanup of oil pollution. The Electronn^s Center has been involved continually in the deve opment and improvement of electronic navigati^(,n systems as well as in meeting the changing needs f°^r communication capability. The Oceanographic Uⁿ’^C in Washington, D. C., coordinates the Coa^st Guard’s involvement in oceanographic activities.

Communications support is provided by six la^rE^e multipurpose and multimode communication ^sta tions and six smaller single-purpose or single-dist^r‘^ct radio stations.

19¹⁷⁰

y^gram

^ ^e^hand_Rescue

^tecr_e:

'^at>onal Bo;

^esearch

and

ating Safety

Development

^Jer'eral a , .

Ministration

^:n8im

^eerin.

8 Suppi

ort

^mmUmcations Services

Unit

Air Stations Air Base

Coastal SAR Facilities Aviation Training Center Group Offices Stations

Boating Safety Teams

Fire and Safety Test Facility Research and Development Center

Area Offices District Offices Headquarters

Aircraft Repair and Supply Center Electronics Shops Electronic Engineering Center Yard

Support Centers Resident Inspectors

Communications Stations Radio Stations

Supply Center

Academy Institute Training Centers

Ships Training Detachment

Strike Teams

Number

Program Director

24

1

7

1

50

154

12

1

1

Office of Operations

Office of Boating Safety

Office of Research and Development

2                Chief of Staff 12

1

1        Office of Engineering

8 1 1

5

3

5              Office of Operations

5

1        Office of the Comptroller

1             Office of Personnel

1

4

2              Office of Operations

3              Office of Marine Environment and Systems

H,

d

^{at l}^^e Coast Guard Can Do

^ha

r

c

e

:s

1-

n

if

it

_rc ^{lat Can} the Coast Guard do in wartime with j_Ce ^ ^0fces and their supporting structure? The Serv-

■e

i'

rrieet^{&S Seven} P^eacetime objectives, and attempts to of f them through 15 different programs. A review '^v°ul<J^SC P^rov'^^{e an} indication of what duties ty₍₎ | , ^c°ntinued in time of war, when new tasks ^ also be assigned.

■j. ^e P^eacetime objectives are: p_ro ttttnimize loss of life, personal injury, and ^and ^ft^ ^^amaS^{e on}- over, and under the high seas •platers ^subject to United States jurisdiction. t'⁰nal ^aC^'^tate waterborne activity in support of na- •j, ^economic, scientific, defense, and social needs. Port ^assure the safety and security of vessels and of

f_ar;i. ^and waterways and their related shoreside •nties.

'J'o

^enforce federal laws and international

agreements on and under waters subject to the juris­diction of the United States and on and under the high seas where authorized.

To maintain an effective, ready, armed force pre­pared for and immediately responsive to specific tasks in time of war or emergency.

To maintain or improve the quality of the marine environment.

To cooperate with other government agencies and entities (federal, state, and local) to assure efficient utilization of public resources and to carry out ac­tivities in the international sphere where appropriate in furthering national policy.

Of the fifteen programs, it is probable that ten would be continued and expanded during a conven­tional war, though in many cases, the emphasis would change.

These programs are:

(1.) Port Safety and Security, obviously a matter of

in ^t?^Ct*^wn activity in coastal waters. This could ^{Ve r}he establishment and monitoring of fixed

the^{SOf SyStems}’ ^r^^e laying of defensive minefields, _sh^C|^con<^^uct of air and surface patrols, the conduct of off h°'^{V Water} ^W, ^and the protection of whatever _Cu^{S ore asset}s are defensible. Many of the Service’s rj ^{C actlv}ities and resources indicate coastal secu­re ^asan appropriate wartime task. For example, the m °^y . ^u°y tenders could be used to establish and Th ^{ain COntr}°ll^ed minefields and sensor systems. ^ coastal stations could be integrated into a _0r ⁿⁱ^^or*ⁿg system to detect intruders, NBC agents, _c ^{0t er} dangers. Patrol boats, medium endurance t_ers^{terS W}'^t^¹ dight decks, patrol aircraft, and helicop- ^v'de °r^erat*ⁿS from dispersed air stations could pro­_a • ^otd ^a*^r surveillance and an attack capability £_o enemy submarines or intelligence craft. _er • ^!^and ^and control of all these units could be ex- ^Se by existing area and district commands.

^^Enforcement Assistance

_ag_e^ ^e ^oast Guard’s status as a law enforcement dona/ ^W0U^ enable it to be used when a conven- ^s°nn 1 ^mUitary P^resence might be undesirable. Per- j_n ^ ^and equipment could assist friendly countries £u ^e developing world in combatting terrorists and _erif_o ^as- Coast Guard teams could act as law ^v'ded^{Cement a<}^^v*^sors’ ^or patrol units could be pro­lance °^{r en}b°^rcement assistance. Coastal surveil- bei ^an<^ interdiction of arms and contraband Priat ^SlT1U^^^ed into a country would be an appro- te law enforcement mission. ^lS the battles could not stop to search for and rescue the survivors in the water. Important losses occurred dur­ing the Battle of the Coral Sea and during battles off Guadalcanal in 1942 and at Leyte Gulf in 1944, when the survivors of sunken ships were left in the water for days on end. Now, when manpower will be relatively a scarcer resource than it was. Coast Guard cutters and helicopters operating with task units could be used to save such people. The cutters could be provided with medical personnel and equipment rather than weapons, be painted white, and be marked appropriately as humanitarian rescue units. During battles or while engaged in rescuing sur­vivors, they could transmit an electronic signal over a wide range of frequencies that would identify them and their mission to prevent them from being at­tacked. It would be necessary for warring nations to recognize and agree to respect the noncombatant na­ture of such rescue units.

As the cost of major weapons increases and the resources able to respond to lesser threats decline, it is important that the Navy be aware of Coast Guard resources and capabilities. Ties should be strengthened and naval plans should include the use of Coast Guard forces to accomplish the country’s ob­jectives under a wide variety of conditions.