https://youtu.be/OPIl0d-4nAc Check out this amazing video showing crew members from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) board a self-propelled semi-submersible suspected of smuggling drugs. According to the Coast Guard, the incident took place June 18, 2019 while operating in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard notes that … [Read more...]
U.S. Coast Guard Beefs Up Pacific Fleet to Counter China
By Philip J. Heijmans and Glen Carey (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Coast Guard is touting increased operations in the Western Pacific, thousands of miles from American shores, as China’s coast guard and civilian fishing militias increasingly assert the country’s territorial claims. A presence in the South China Sea and elsewhere will help enforce the sovereignty of partner nations … [Read more...]
U.S. Coast Guard Loosens Radar Renewal Requirements for Experienced Mariners
The U.S. Coast Guard has published a final rule amending the requirements for renewal of a radar observer endorsement, making refresher courses no longer required for mariners who meet certain criteria. The final rule, titled "Amendments to the Marine Radar Observer Refresher Training Regulations", amends the requirements for renewal of a radar observer endorsement for … [Read more...]
Melting Ice Caps Are a National Security Crisis: James Stavridis
By James Stavridis (Bloomberg Opinion) -- I spent much of my life in the U.S. Navy, including nearly 11 years on the deep ocean day-to-day, out of sight of land. This really drove home the fact that oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface — all the world’s land would fit comfortably within the Pacific. Oceans produce much of the oxygen we breathe and a great deal of the … [Read more...]
VT Halter Reveals New Coast Guard Icebreaker Details
Mississippi-based shipbuilder VT Halter Marine has provided new details on the $745 million contract for the design and construction of the United States’ first new heavy icebreaker in more than 40 years. As we reported last month, the U.S. Department of Navy selected VT Halter as the prime contractor for the $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the U.S. … [Read more...]