USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)

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USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715).jpg
USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)
History
Ensign of the United States Coast Guard.svgUnited States
NameHamilton
Namesake Alexander Hamilton
Builder Avondale Shipyards
LaunchedDecember 18, 1965
CommissionedMarch 18, 1967
DecommissionedMarch 28, 2011
Motto
  • Semper Paratus
  • (Always Ready)
FateDecommissioned and transferred as an Excess Defense Article to the Philippines as BRP Gregorio del Pilar
Badge USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) (crest).gif
General characteristics
Class and type Hamilton-class high endurance cutter
Displacement3,250 tons
Length378 ft (115.2 m)
Beam43 ft (13.1 m)
PropulsionTwo Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines and two Pratt & Whitney gas turbine engines
Speed28 knots (52 km/h) max
Range14,000 nautical miles (25,900 km)
Endurance45 days
Complement167
Sensors and
processing systems		 AN/SPS-40 air-search radar MK 92 Fire Control System
Armament

USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance cutter and the lead ship of its class. It was based at Boston, Massachusetts from commissioning until 1991, then out of San Pedro, California before it was moved to its last home port in San Diego, California. It was launched on December 18, 1965 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana and named for Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. It was commissioned on March 18, 1967.

Contents

It was decommissioned on March 28, 2011 and transferred to the Philippine Navy as an excess defense article under the Foreign Assistance Act on May 13, 2011 as BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

Design

The United States Coast Guard designed a high level of habitability into Hamilton. Living compartments and areas provided fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning, for the 173 men and women aboard. [1]

Propulsion

Hamilton was the first U.S. military vessel to employ the now common shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines and controllable pitch propellers. Its two 18,000- horsepower (13,000 kW) Pratt & Whitney [2] gas turbines could propel it at speeds up to 28 knots (52 km/h). It also has two 3,500-horsepower (2,600 kW) Fairbanks-Morse [2] diesel engines, capable of driving it economically at 17 knots (31 km/h) for up to 14,400 nautical miles (26,700 km) without refueling. [2] A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides exceptional maneuverability in tight situations.

Flight support

Hamilton's flight deck and hangar, capable of handling both Coast Guard and United States Navy helicopters, extended the vessel's rescue and maritime law enforcement operations.

Renovation

In 1988, Hamilton completed a three-year fleet renovation and modernization that provided it with modern weapons and electronics systems, including Harpoon missiles and a modernized anti-submarine warfare suite. All spaces and machinery were also overhauled and refurbished. The new technology enabled it to operate seamlessly with the United States Navy. [1]

Missions

Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton makes its descent towards the Coast Guard Station Juneau pier after spending three months patrolling in the Bering Sea Feb. 4, 2011. Hamilton in Alaska (6976323989).jpg
Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton makes its descent towards the Coast Guard Station Juneau pier after spending three months patrolling in the Bering Sea Feb. 4, 2011.

Hamilton served a variety of missions with distinction. During a 1969–1970 deployment to Vietnam, it interdicted weapons smugglers and fired more than 4,600 rounds in support of U.S. and South Vietnamese troops ashore. From 1965–1975, it served on Atlantic Ocean stations, collecting valuable oceanographic data and conducting frequent search and rescue missions. It also directed the interdictions of over 21,000 Haitian migrants throughout the Caribbean during Operation Able Manner. In 1994, it received the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation for rescuing 135 Haitians after their sailboat capsized and sank. In 1996, it transited the Panama Canal and served as the command and control platform for Operation Frontier Shield, a multi-agency effort to curtail the influx of narcotics into the United States. Hamilton intercepted 14 drug-laden vessels carrying more than 115 tons of contraband worth 200 million dollars. In 1999, Hamilton seized over 2,700 kilograms (6,000 lb) of cocaine bound for the U.S. in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It frequently patrolled the Bering Sea off the Alaskan coast at the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) which separates the Russian and the United States' exclusive economic zones (EEZ). Hamilton's presence on the MBL deters foreign fishing vessels from fishing in the U.S. EEZ. [1]

In March 2007, Hamilton assisted Sherman in the largest recorded maritime drug bust in history. The two vessels intercepted the Panamanian-flagged fishing vessel Gatun in international waters and seized 20 metric tons (20 long tons) of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $600 million. It was the largest drug bust in US history, and the largest interdiction at sea. [3]

Additional

The U.S. Navy League Cadet Corps (NLCC) has a commissioned unit named after USCGC Hamilton. The unit's name is Training Ship Hamilton; it is located in San Pedro, California. [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) official web site. United States Coast Guard. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  2. 1 2 3 "WHEC 378' Hamilton class". GlobalSecurity.org. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  3. ↑ Carter, Cmdr. Jeff (March 21, 2007). "Coast Guard Makes Recort Maritime Cocaine Seizure". USCG Press Statement. United States Coast Guard . Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  4. ↑ "Home". USNSCC HAVEN DIVISION / USNLCC T.S. HAMILTON. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
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