Originally, the Coast Guard used the term cutter in its traditional sense, as a type of small sailing ship. [1]
Larger cutters, over 181 feet (55 m) in length, are controlled by Area Commands, the Atlantic Area or Pacific Area. Smaller cutters come under control of district commands. Cutters usually carry a motor surf boat and/or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. Polar-class icebreakers (WAGB) carry an Arctic survey boat (ASB) and landing craft.
Any Coast Guard crew with officers or petty officers assigned has law-enforcement authority (14 USC Sec. 89) and can conduct armed boardings.
The Coast Guard operates 243 Cutters, [2] defined as any vessel more than 65 feet (20 m) long, that has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew. [3]
| Name or Class | Image | Quantity | Length | Armament | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar-class 2 | 0 | 460' |
| Building 2, 3 total on order. The Polar Security Cutter Program is to replace the Polar-class. To enter service in 2025. | |
| Healy-class |  | 1 | 420' |
| Medium class icebreaker used for icebreaking and research. Entered service in 2000. [5] |
| Legend-class |  | 9 | 418' |
| 9 Active; Building 2; Option for 12th. [6] Designated to replace the Hamilton-class. Entered Service in 2008. |
| Polar-class |  | 1 | 399' |
| USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is only active heavy icebreaker. Entered service in 1976. [7] [8] [9] USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is located in Seattle, Washington but is not currently in active service. |
| Heritage-class | 0 | 360' |
| 3 under construction; 12 ordered or optioned; 25 total planned. [10] Designated to replace the Famous-class and Reliance-class. To enter service in 2025. [11] | |
| USCGC Eagle |  | 1 | 295' | None | USCGC Eagle (WIX-327): Eagle is home ported at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. It is used for training voyages for Coast Guard Academy cadets and Coast Guard officer candidates. USCGC Eagle was built in Germany as the Horst Wessel , and was taken by the United States as a war reparation in 1945. |
| USCGC Alex Haley |  | 1 | 283' |
| Entered service in 1971 as USS Edenton. |
| Famous-class |  | 13 | 270' |
| Entered service in 1983. |
| USCGC Mackinaw |  | 1 | 240' |
| Mackinaw is a 240-foot (73 m) heavy icebreaker built for operations on the North American Great Lakes and home ported at Cheboygan, Michigan. Entered Service in 2006. |
| Juniper-class |  | 16 | 225' |
| Entered service in 1996. |
| Reliance-class |  | 14 | 210' |
| Entered service in 1964. |
| Keeper-class |  | 14 | 175' | None | Entered service in 1997. |
| 160-foot-class Inland construction Tender |  | 4 | 160' | None | Entered service in 1976. |
| Sentinel-class |  | 40 | 154' |
| 64 planned. Designated to replace Island-class. Entered service in 2012. |
| Bay-class |  | 9 | 140' | 10 planned. Entered service in 1979. | |
| Island-class |  | 49 | 110' | (WPB): Eight additional 110-foot patrol boats were extended to 123 feet (37 m) but structural issues developed shortly after these conversions and the cutters were deemed unsafe to operate. [12] Entered service in 1985. | |
| 100-foot Class Inland Buoy Tenders |  | 2 | 100' | None | Entered service in 1945. |
| 100-foot-class Inland Construction Tender |  | 3 | 100' | None | Entered service in 1944. |
| Marine Protector-class |  | 67 | 87' |
| Entered service in 1998. Sea PROTECTOR MK50 GWS Carried on four Marine Protector Class Cutters. |
| Kankakee-class |  | 2 | 75' | None | Entered service in 1990. |
| Gasconade-Class |  | 9 | 75' |
| Entered Service in 1964 |
| 75' inland construction tender |  | 9 | 75' | None | Entered service in 1962 |
| 65' river buoy tender |  | 2 | 65' | None | |
| 65' inland buoy tender |  | 2 | 65' | None | Entered service in 1954 |
| Small Harbor Tug |  | 11 | 65' | None | (WYTL): This is a class of eleven 65-foot tugs used by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, aids-to-navigation work and light icebreaking. Entered service in 1961. |
The Coast Guard operates about 1,402 boats, defined as any vessel less than 65 feet (20 meters) in length, which generally operate near shore and on inland waterways. The most common is 25 feet (7.6 m) long, of which the Guard has more than 350. [13] The shortest is 13 feet (4.0 m).
| Name | Image | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64-ft Aids to Navigation Boat |  | 64' | |
| 64-ft Screening Vessel |  | 64' | |
| 55-ft Aids to Navigation Boat |  | 55' | |
| 52-ft Motor Life Boat |  | 52' | The Coast Guard currently has four of the 52-foot motor life boats, a craft designed from the ground up to serve in challenging surf conditions. All four craft are currently assigned to surf stations in the Pacific Northwest. Also known as "Special Purpose Craft - Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX)" |
| Buoy Utility Stern Loading |  | 49' | |
| 47-ft Motor Life Boat |  | 47' | The Coast Guard's 47-foot primary heavy-weather boat used for search and rescue as well as law enforcement and homeland security. [14] |
| Response Boat Medium |  | 45' | The Coast Guard has signed a multi-year contract for 180 Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) boats that were delivered starting in 2008 to replace the 41′ UTB boats. These aluminum boats are 45 feet (14 m) in length, with twin diesel engines (total 825 hp), are self-righting, have a four crew, six passenger capacity, are equippable with two .50 caliber machine guns, have an excellent fendering system, can achieve a top speed of 42 knots (78 km/h), and are capable of towing a 100-ton vessel in eight-foot seas. The boats were built by Kvichak Marine Industries of Kent, Washington and Marinette Marine of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. [15] [16] |
| Near-Shore Life Boat | 42' | ||
| 39-ft Tactical Training Boat | 39' | ||
| 38-ft Training Boat | 38' | ||
| Arctic Survey Boat |  | 38' | Only one of these vessels is used by the Coast Guard. It is kept on the USCGC Healy and is used for arctic studies. |
| 36-ft Boarding Team Delivery | 36' | ||
| Long-Range Interceptor |  | 36' | An 11-meter (36-foot) high-speed launch that can be launched from the rear ramps of the National Security Cutters. [17] |
| 33-ft Law Enforcement |  | 33' | |
| Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat | 29' | ||
| Response Boat- Small II |  | 29' | A 29-foot replacement for the Defender Class, built by Metal Shark Boats. |
| Cutterboat- Over the Horizon |  | 25' | |
| Transportable Security Boat |  | 25' | 25-foot (7.6 m) boat, based on the commercial version of the 25-foot (8 m) center-console Boston Whaler, suitable for work in inland waters, easily transportable by trailer. These are primarily used by Port Security Units for force protection in naval support areas abroad, as well as, ports of embarkation/debarkation in expeditionary areas. Most recently these boats and units were deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The durability, versatility, and mobility of these boats make them ideal for this type of operation. [18] |
| Response Boat- Small |  | 25' | A high-speed boat, for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, port security and law enforcement duties. The original 25-foot boats built by SAFE Boats International (Secure All-around Flotation Equipped) of Port Orchard, Washington are being replaced by 29-foot boats built by Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, LA. [19] [20] |
| 24-ft Shallow Water |  | 24' | |
| 24-ft Cutterboat - Aids to Navigation - Large | 23' | ||
| Cutterboat- Large | 24'-19' | ||
| 22-ft Airboat |  | 22' | |
| 20-ft Aids to Navigation Boat - Small |  | 21' | |
| 20-ft Airboat | 20' | ||
| 18-ft Cutterboat - Aids to Navigation - Medium | 18' | ||
| 18-ft Airboat | 18' | ||
| Cutterboat- Medium | 17' | ||
| 16-ft Aids to Navigation Boat – Skiff | 16' | ||
| Cutterboat- Small | 13' | ||
The Coast Guard operates about 210 aircraft. Fixed-wing aircraft, such as Lockheed HC-130 Hercules turboprops, operate from Air Stations on long-duration missions. Helicopters (Aérospatiale HH-65 Dolphin and Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk) operate from Air Stations, Air Facilities, and flight-deck equipped cutters, and can rescue people or intercept smuggling vessels. Some special MH- designated helicopters are armed with guns and some are equipped with armor to protect against small arms fire.
The Coast Guard flies several aircraft types:
| Name | Image | Quantity | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed HC-130 Hercules |  | 27 | ||
| HC-27J Spartan |  | 11 | [21] [22] Out of 14 on order. | |
| CASA HC-144A Ocean Sentry |  | 18 | [23] [24] [25] | |
| Gulfstream C-37A |  | 2 | Aircraft as a VIP transport for high-ranking Coast Guard and Homeland Security officials. [26] | |
| HH-65 Dolphin |  | 102 | ||
| Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk |  | 42 | [27] | |
| RG-8A Condors |  | unspecified number | ||
| Boeing Insitu ScanEagle |  | unspecified number | [28] | |
The Coast Guard was to purchase the Bell Eagle Eye UAV as part of the Deepwater program, but this has been cancelled. [29] The Coast Guard is currently preparing to launch a small UAS competition for the Legend-class NSC and future Heritage-class cutter. [30]
In addition to regular Coast Guard aircraft, privately owned general aviation aircraft are used by Coast Guard Auxiliarists for patrols and search-and-rescue missions.
| Name | Image | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MWV | ||||
| HMMWV |  |  United States | limited unspecified number | Used primarily by Deployable Specialized Forces [31] |
| LSSV |  | United States | unspecified number | [32] |
| Name | Image | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M153 CROWS II |  | Sea PROTECTOR MK50 GWS | ||
| Mk 38 25mm autocannon |  | Mod 1, Mod 2 and Mod 3 | ||
| Mk 44 30mm autocannon |  | |||
| Phalanx CIWS |  | 20 mm Block 1B Baseline 2 | ||
| Bofors 57 mm gun |  | MK 110. A variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System | ||
| OTO Melara Mark 75 |  | 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun | ||
| Name | Image | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark 36 SRBOC |  | chaff countermeasures | ||
| Nulka |  | MK 53 Mod 10 | ||
| Model | Image | Caliber | Type | Origin | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistols | ||||||
| P229R-DAK |  | .40 S&W | Pistol |  Germany | Former service pistol | |
| Glock 19 |  | 9mm | Pistol |  Austria | Standard service pistol. Replacing the Sig P229R-DAK [33] | |
| Assault Rifles | ||||||
| M16A2 |  | 5.56×45mm NATO | Assault rifle | United States | Limited service | |
| M4 |  | 5.56×45mm NATO | Assault rifle, Carbine | United States | Standard issue service rifle. The Deployable Operations Group also employs the Mk 18 upper receiver [34] | |
| MK18/CQBR |  | 5.56×45mm NATO | Assault rifle, Carbine | United States | Standard issue service carbine. The Deployable Specialized Forces also employs them | |
| Shotguns | ||||||
| M870P |  | 12-gauge | Shotgun | United States | ||
| Saiga-12 | 12-gauge | Shotgun |  Russia | The Deployable Specialized Forces employs them | ||
| Machine Guns | ||||||
| M240 |  | 7.62×51mm NATO | General purpose, medium machine gun | United States | M240B variant is employed aboard surface vessels while the M240H is used aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk and MH-65 Dolphin helicopters. The M240 is also used on land by Port Security Units [35] | |
| M249 |  | 5.56×45mm NATO | Light machine gun | United States | Used on various boats and primarily by Deployable Specialized Forces | |
| M60 |  | 7.62×51mm NATO | General purpose, medium machine gun | United States | Used on various boats such as the Defender-class boat [36] | |
| Browning M2HB |  | .50 BMG | Heavy machine gun | United States | Primarily mounted on seagoing vessels. Some machine guns are used on land by Port Security Units [37] | |
| Precision Rifles, Designated Marksman Rifles & Sniper Rifles. | ||||||
| MK14 EBR |  | 7.62×51mm NATO | Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle | United States | Variant known as the M14 Tactical fitted with the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle stock, with a 22-inch barrel and a Smith Enterprise muzzle brake. | |
| Mk 11 |  | 7.62×51mm NATO | Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle | United States | Used by the Deployable Specialized Forces [34] | |
| Barrett 50 cal/M82/M107 |  | .50 BMG | Anti materiel sniper rifle | United States | Used for Airborne Use of Force (AUF) missions | |
| Robar RC-50 | .50 BMG | Anti materiel sniper rifle | United States | |||
| Grenade-Based Weapons | ||||||
| M203 |  | 40mm | Grenade launcher | United States | Single-shot underbarrel grenade launcher [38] | |
| Mk 19 |  | 40mm | Automatic grenade launcher | United States | Belt-fed | |
| MK3 grenade |  | Concussion Grenade | United States | Used as an anti-swimmer grenade. Being phased out and being replaced by a newer Anti-Swimmer Grenade. [39] | ||
Coast Guard radio stations cover a wide geographical area using very high frequency and high frequency radios. There are eight major radio stations covering long-range transmissions and an extensive network of VHF radio stations along the nation's coastline and inland rivers.
The current communication system is the Rescue 21. Rescue 21 is an advanced maritime command, control, and communications (C3) system.
The OMEGA navigation system and the LORAN-C transmitters outside the USA were run until 1994 also by the United States Coast Guard, and LORAN-C transmitters within the US were decommissioned in June 2010, with the exception of 5 CONUS LORAN-C stations that continue to be staffed due to international agreements.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies.
The Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engined helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for medevac-capable search and rescue (SAR) and armed Airborne Use of Force missions. It is a variant of the French-built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin.
USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is the United States' largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker as well as the US Coast Guard's largest vessel. She is classified as a medium icebreaker by the Coast Guard. She is homeported in Seattle, Washington, and was commissioned in 1999. On 6 September 2001 Healy visited the North Pole for the first time. The second visit occurred on 12 September 2005. On 5 September 2015, Healy became the first unaccompanied United States surface vessel to reach the North Pole, and Healy's fourth Pole visit happened on 30 September 2022.
USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. Commissioned in 1976, the ship was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington along with sister ship, USCGC Polar Sea.
USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. Commissioned on 23 February 1977, the ship was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle along with her sister ship, Polar Star (WAGB-10). Her home port is Seattle, Washington.
Polar-class icebreakersUSCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) are heavy icebreakers operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). These cutters, specifically designed for icebreaking, have reinforced hulls, special icebreaking bows, and a system that allows rapid shifting of ballast to increase the effectiveness of their icebreaking. The vessels conduct Arctic and Antarctic research and are the primary icebreakers that clear the channel into McMurdo Station for supply ships. All are homeported in Seattle, Washington.
The Island-class patrol boat is a class of cutters of the United States Coast Guard. 49 cutters of the class were built, of which 7 remain in commission. Their hull numbers are WPB-1301 through WPB-1349.
USS Edisto (AGB-2) was a Wind-class icebreaker in the service of the United States Navy and was later transferred to the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284). She was named after Edisto Island, South Carolina. The island is named after the Native American Edisto Band who inhabited the island and the surrounding area. As of 2011 there is a namesake cutter USCGC Edisto (WPB-1313). The newer Edisto is a 110-foot Island-class patrol boat and is stationed in San Diego County, California.
USCGC Northwind (WAG/WAGB-282) was a Wind-class icebreaker, the second United States Coast Guard Cutter of her class to bear the name. She was built to replace USCGC Staten Island which was in Soviet lend-lease service.
USS Burton Island (AG-88) was a United States Navy Wind-class icebreaker that was later recommissioned in the United States Coast Guard as the USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283). She was named after an island near the coast of Delaware.
The Hamilton-class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the Legend-class cutter, aside from the Polar-class icebreaker. The hull classification symbol is prefixed WHEC. The cutters are called the Hamilton class after their lead ship, or the "Secretary class" because most of the vessels in the class were named for former Secretaries of the Treasury, with the exception of the "Hero-class cutters" Jarvis, Munro and Midgett.
The Wind-class icebreakers were a line of diesel electric-powered icebreakers in service with the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and Soviet Navy from 1944 through the late 1970s. They were very effective ships: all except Eastwind served at least thirty years, and Northwind served in the USCG continuously for forty-four years. Considered the most technologically advanced icebreakers in the world when first built, the Wind-class icebreakers were also heavily armed; the first operator of the class was the United States Coast Guard, which used the vessels for much-needed coastal patrol off Greenland during World War II. Three of the vessels of the class, Westwind, Southwind, and the first Northwind all went on to serve temporarily for the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, while two others were built for the United States Navy and another was built for the Royal Canadian Navy; all eight vessels were eventually transferred to the United States Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard.
United States Coast Guard Cutter is the term used by the U.S. Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. They are 65 feet (19.8 m) or greater in length and have a permanently assigned crew with accommodations aboard. They carry the ship prefix USCGC.
USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279) was a Wind-class icebreaker that was built for the United States Coast Guard. Completed in time to see action in World War II, she continued in USCG service under the same name until decommissioned in 1968.
USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281) was a Wind-class icebreaker that served in the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Westwind (WAG-281), the Soviet Navy as the Severni Polius, and again in the U.S. Coast Guard as USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281).
Bollinger Shipyards is an American constructor of ships, workboats and patrol vessels. Its thirteen shipyards and forty drydocks are located in Louisiana and Texas. Its drydocks range in capacity from vessels of 100 tons displacement to 22,000 tons displacement. The firm was founded in 1946.
USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280) was a Wind-class icebreaker that served in the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Southwind (WAG-280), the Soviet Navy as the Admiral Makarov, the United States Navy as USS Atka (AGB-3) and again in the U.S. Coast Guard as USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280).
District 13 is a United States Coast Guard district, based at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, in Seattle, Washington. It covers the Pacific Northwest and its Area of Responsibility encompasses four states; Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. District 13 is divided into three Sectors – Puget Sound, Columbia River and North Bend. The District has more than 3,000 active duty and reserve members, civilian employees, and auxiliaries and operates twenty-one cutters, 132 boats and eleven aircraft.
The Polar Security Cutter Program is a program to recapitalize the United States Coast Guard's aging fleet of icebreakers, currently consisting of the heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star and the medium icebreaker USCGC Healy, with three new multi-mission vessels referred to as Polar Security Cutters (PSC). These heavy polar icebreakers will allow the USCG to perform its statutory missions in the Arctic as well as support the United States Antarctic Program with Operation Deep Freeze.
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