Fresh from Shipyard and Quarantine, Coast Guard Cutter Stone Heads Out for Southern Atlantic Patrol - USNI News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By: Gidget Fuentes December 28, 2020 9:42 PM
USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) departs port in Mississippi on Dec. 22, 2020. Coast Guard Image
The Coast Guard's newest national security cutter is setting out on its first operational patrol to the Southern Atlantic to counter illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing off South America.
The Legend-class USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) and its crew of 120 men and women last week turned what's typically a "shakedown" cruise into short-notice preparations to conduct maritime security operations off South America after departing Pascagoula, Miss. The Coast Guard had received Stone from the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries, on Nov. 10 and planned for its commissioning at its future homeport of Charleston, S.C., now slated for after its return from the deployment.
The departure came after a two-week restriction aboard where crew members remained in their berthing when not eating meals or exercising. After leaving Pascagoula just before Christmas, the crew was busy with drills and training, including small-boat operations, abandon-ship drills and helicopter operations.
The inaugural deployment is "a multi-month deployment to the South Atlantic countering illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing while strengthening relationships for maritime sovereignty and security throughout the region," according to a Coast Guard news release. "This the service's first patrol to South America in recent memory, engaging partners including Guyana, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Portugal." An observer from the Portuguese navy embarked the cutter for the duration of Operation Southern Cross in the U.S. Southern Command region.
"Stone's patrol demonstrates our commitment to the established rules-based order while addressing IUU fishing wherever a Coast Guard cutter is deployed," Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander, said in a statement.
The Coast Guard has counted IIU as the top maritime security threat and its enforcement as an important mission. Cutters support enforcement of international law, tracking illicit activities and patrol established fisheries, usually in concert with regional partners and allies. The largest effort has been in the Pacific, where in 2020 the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea deployed vessels, aircraft and other assets during Operation Northern Pacific Guard.
In September, Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard commandant, issued the "IUU Fishing Strategic Outlook," which he described as its "commitment to leading a global effort to combat illegal exploitation of the ocean's fish stocks and protect our national interests." The Coast Guard's contribution would be threefold: Targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operations, counter-predatory and irresponsible State behavior, and expanded multilateral fisheries enforcement cooperation.
"Not all maritime nations have the capability to surveil their sovereign waters or the moral conscience to police their fleets; this lack of shared responsibility creates opportunities for exploitation in the form of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing," Schultz wrote. "This exploitation erodes both regional and national security, undermines maritime rules-based order, jeopardizes food access and availability, and destroys legitimate economies.
"IUU fishing has replaced piracy as the leading global maritime security threat. If IUU fishing continues unchecked, we can expect deterioration of fragile coastal States and increased tension among foreign-fishing Nations, threatening geopolitical stability around the world."
While much attention has been on the Pacific, where U.S. officials say China's expanding fishing and patrol fleets have flaunted international law and threaten nations' economic security and sovereignty, similar concerns exist across the Southern Atlantic's natural resources. Growing concerns over illicit activities in fisheries off South America, including sightings of more Chinese and Asian fishing vessels, has prompted Argentina to purchase new offshore patrol craft for its coast guard.
Stone's deployment to the southern Atlantic comes as its crew was preparing for the shakedown cruise even as they remained aboard the cutter for a mandatory, pre-sail quarantine.
"It is no easy feat to assemble a crew and ready a cutter for sea - but this crew has had to perform this difficult task while observing protective measures associated with the Coronavirus-19 pandemic," Capt. Adam Morrison, Stone's commanding officer, said in a statement. "The crew and I look forward to this historic first voyage, as Stone begins a storied career of service to this nation. While balancing training and qualification requirements, Stone's crew will engage with partner nations in South America in a like-minded pursuit to curb illegal fishing tactics."
"I cannot think of a better ending to 2020 than seeing the look of pride on the faces of our shipbuilders as Stone sails away from our shipyard to join the Coast Guard's cutter fleet," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said in a news release. "Our workforce has provided the Coast Guard with another state-of-the-art, highly capable national security cutter that will work for decades to come to ensure our nation's maritime safety and security."
Stone will be commissioned in Charleston, homeport to two other national security cutters, USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) and USCGC James (WMSL-754).
The cutter is named for the late Cmdr. Elmer "Archie" Fowler Stone, who in 1917 becane the Coast Guard's first aviator and, two years later, was one of two pilots who successfully made a transatlantic flight in a Navy seaplane. The 418-foot, 4,500-ton cutter can operate up to 60 days without support.
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Go get em Coasties......!
Posted for my favorite puddle pirate 1st Warrior. Probably out on the links by this hour chasing the round one.....
Sorry Fly, but ain't nobody gonna get me out on the links when it's 33 degrees. Ain't enough coffee/scotch for that boondoggle
.
Hell 1st... I thought you had hair on your ass!
Hitting a 90 compression ball of course would be like hitting a rock!
Hell, I'd hit a 10 compression if I could find one.
Hey, my daughter is aiming on marrying a puddle pirate..... so that is Yes Sir Puddle Pirate.
Perrie, you know as well as anyone that all you can do is give them the tools. The decisions they make from there are their own. Just shake your head and hope he can be convinced to become a real sailor someday....
(Kidding of course... The coasties have a tough job day in and day out. I'm proud to call them one of my brothers. Air Force types, that's a different matter entirely...!)
I'm sure that's one sweet cutter! A little bigger than the 210 I was stationed on. Probably nice port calls too down there in S America too.
I remember one Christmas out on Georges Bank doing fisheries interdiction. Seas were so bad we had to jam ourselves in our racks so as not to fall out. I didn't eat all day until dinner - it was spaghetti. I sat down across from the SK1 and he puked on his plate. I was so hungry I just ignored it and kept eating and then went back to my rack.
Sadly, never did the cutters. Worked off Buoy Tenders (Red Cedar, Red Birch) - but you're so right 'bout the seas. My worst duty was as ODO on the "flying Bridge" with my cold weather suit tightly zipped up in 16 degree weather, 35 mph winds, squalls breaking the bow for two hours off the coast of Norfolk. Bologna sandwiches were gold. Almost got my wish for a cutter (USCGC Storis) in Kodiak - that woulda been one hell of a tour.
I started on the only white 180 in the fleet - the Citrus. I finished my CG career on the Sundew on Lake Superior. During that tour we sailed on every one of the Great Lakes. We did drop buoys as late as late Nov and cut ice into Jan. We were once cutting ice in the shipping harbors up the North Shore of Lake Superior and instead of pulling into port the Captain had us heave to in the ice just outside of the harbor so we could continue at first light. That year the whole lake froze over.
Looked up her specs.... Yep, one sweet boat as you called it. Should serve our nation well for decades.
Even the Air Farce needs someone to laugh at.
The Coast Guard is a tough job! Someone needs to keep Navy wives warm.
You rat bastard....!
Hey, somebody's gotta do it - after all, the Marines are busy fighting your wars
If it's anything like in the 2006 movie The Guardian starring Kevin Costner, I'll say it can be.
Seriously 1st? The Army got guard dogs, the Navy got Marines. I'll leave it to you to determine which is easier to housebreak!
All they gotta do is look in the mirror in between their video games.
On the other hand when I would be in Dutch Harbor Alaska I saw the brass balls the puddle pirates really had.
A rescue operation far out into the Bering Sea one of the most dangerous places in the world. 50/60 mph winds and heavy seas. Amazing.
On a somewhat related note, I binge-watched Deadliest Catch last weekend.
Followed by "A Perfect Storm".
The Coast Guard rescue missions into the Bering Sea is what the movie The Guardian I referred to above is about.
This one took me down a rabbit hole...
I read a bit about the Legend-class cutter ...
which carries both a very modern Bofors 57 mm L/70 naval artillery gun , and a
Browning .50 caliber machine gun .
Yup! That one!
Now, back to the real military.
We've already had this discussion about the mental stability of those that jump out of a perfectly functioning aircraft willingly....
No one ever said it was a perfectly good aircraft.
If it hasn't augered, it's perfectly good.
It got in the air didn't it...?
Little tidbit that I'm sure you are unaware of - did you know that there are more airplanes in the ocean than there are ships in the air??
Astounding, eh?
Aye...... Gravity.... She is a heartless bitch!
Fly - and to all others here - please have a safe and happy New Year's.
If nothing else, remember this -
Not only your cats - but, your entire family.
Chukma.
you win...!