Cutter Waesche News

A fire-stricken U.S. Coast Guard cutter docked in Yokosuka, Japan Tuesday for inspection and possible repairs days after an onboard blaze left five crew members with minor injuries.Black smoke was reported on the cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) at 5:18 p.m. (local time) on Sunday while the ship was on deployed within the U.S. 7th Fleet's area of operations, the Coast Guard said.Onboard crews were able to contain the flames in the ship' exhaust stack and nearby spaces, and all fires…

The U.S. Coast Guard marked the end of a record year in counterdrug operations as the crew of Cutter Waesche from Alameda, California, offloaded more than 39,000 pounds of cocaine in San Diego Thursday, October 27. The Coast Guard and its interagency partners removed more than 416,600 pounds of cocaine worth over $5.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2016, which ran from Oct. 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016. The service’s previous record was 367,700 pounds of cocaine removed in Fiscal Year 2008. “This impressive record not only reflects the extraordinary accomplishments of the men and women of the U.S.

The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche has returned to port at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, after spending three weeks at sea participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 exercises, informs the US Coast Guard. During the exercises Waesche demonstrated the Coast Guard’s unique capabilities and partnership with Department of Defense entities and international partners along the Pacific Rim by serving as the Combined Task Force 175 commander. While in this role, Waesche led vessels from China, Brunei, Mexico, France, Brunei, and the U.S., through numerous multinational exercises including ship handling, boarding exercises, replenishment at sea, and a live-fire gunnery exercise.

The U.S. Coast Guard has released today the Major Incident Investigation (MII) Report into the incident aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, which resulted in the death of Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Obendorf. Obendorf was a crewmember aboard the Alameda-based Coast Guard Cutter Waesche. He died in a Seattle hospital Dec. 18, 2013, as a result of injuries he sustained during search and rescue operations near Amak Island, Alaska, Nov. 11, 2013. The report identifies causal and contributing factors, including equipment failure, placement of small boat personnel and prevailing weather conditions. The investigation found that a capture system designed to automatically secure the small boat into the stern during recovery operations did not function as designed most of the time.

Petty Officer Third Class Travis Obendorf died in a Seattle hospital Dec. 18 as a result of injuries he sustained during search and rescue operations near Amak Island, Alaska, Nov. 11, while serving aboard Coast Guard Cutter Waesche. Obendorf’s family was by his side when he passed away in Swedish Hospital following surgery. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Petty Officer Obendorf's family and his shipmates aboard Coast Guard Cutter Waesche during this difficult time,” said Vice Adm. Paul Zukunft, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a fixed‐price incentive firm target contract valued at approximately $487.1 million to Huntington Ingalls Industries for the production of the sixth National Security Cutter (NSC). NSC 6 will be built at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Two NSCs are currently in production. The Coast Guard awarded the production contract for NSC 4 in November 2010 and production of that vessel is approximately 39% complete to date. The Coast Guard awarded production for NSC 5 in September 2011. NSC 5 is approximately 16% complete to date.

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a contract action valued at approximately $482 million for the production of the fifth National Security Cutter.Construction of the ship to be named James, is scheduled to begin this spring at the Huntington Ingalls Industries’ shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. following prefabrication.“The contract award for production and delivery of the fifth NSC is an important step forward in the Coast Guard’s efforts to recapitalize its aging surface fleet,” said Rear Adm. Bruce Baffer, the Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate’s program executive officer. “The NSC is desperately needed to replace the service’s 40-year-old high endurance cutters and to be able to perform today’s challenging homeland security missions.” Captain Joshua James…

Crowley Maritime Corporation presented U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Midshipman Kevin Kinsella with the Maritime Security Enhancement Award, during the academy's graduation awards convocation. Charles Hill, chairman of the academy's alumni foundation, presented the recognition certificate and cash award on behalf of Crowley to Kinsella. Each year, Crowley recognizes a student at USMMA who demonstrates a strong interest in a career in port, maritime or transportation security. Kinsella…

On May 7, the Northrop Grumman Corporation-built (NYSE:NOC) National Security Cutter (NSC) USCGC Waesche was commissioned, allowing the service's most technologically-advanced maritime asset to join the Coast Guard fleet. Waesche is named for Adm. Russell R. Waesche, who was the first Coast Guard commandant to achieve the rank of admiral. He led the Coast Guard from 1936 to 1946, which is the longest tenure of any USCG commandant. Adm. Waesche's granddaughter and ship's sponsor…

The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche transited through the San Francisco Bay for the first time en route to its homeport of Alameda, Calif., Feb. 28, 2010. The Waesche is the second Legend Class cutter and is scheduled to be commissioned in May. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Metcalf)

The U.S. Coast Guard accepted the second Northrop Grumman Corporation-built (NYSE:NOC) National Security Cutter, Waesche (WMSL 751) Nov. 6 at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula. Following acceptance, the Coast Guard placed Waesche In-Commission Special during a ceremony on the flight deck of the ship. Prior to delivery, Waesche successfully completed a rigorous round of sea trials. During acceptance trials last month, she performed all required sea trial evolutions for the U.S.

751) completed successful Builder's Trials on August 17 after undergoing rigorous testing in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship's return to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Gulf Coast facility here following trials marks the latest milestone for Waesche, which is nearing completion. Waesche is the second ship in the new class of highly capable, technologically advanced multi-mission cutters. The NSC was built under contract from Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. "The effort put in by everyone to get the ship here is astounding," said U.S.

The Lockheed Martin Coast Guard Systems team participated in the power up of the first set of electronic cabinets and consoles of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) system onboard the U.S. Coast Guard's second National Security Cutter, Waesche (WMSL 751). Lockheed Martin's C4ISR systems will provide Waesche's crew with a common operating picture to aid coordination among helicopters, aircraft, other ships and shore facilities. The system has an open architecture design and provides interoperability, assuring that the Coast Guard can work with multiple federal, regional and state agencies and organizations to maintain maritime domain awareness and accomplish homeland security missions.

More than 1,000 guests attended the christening of the Northrop Grumman Corporation-built U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) on July 26. Waesche is named for Adm. Russell R. Waesche, who was the first Coast Guard commandant to achieve the rank of admiral. He led the Coast Guard from 1936 to 1946, which is the longest tenure of any USCG commandant. Adm. Waesche's granddaughter Marilla Waesche Pivonka broke a bottle across the ship's bow to a rousing ovation, and also performed a song to honor the ship and her grandfather.

GE Marine announces that its LM2500 marine aeroderivative gas turbine now powers the United States Coast Guard’s first National Security Cutter, Bertholf. The cutter recently completed extensive sea trials and was delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard on May 8 by shipbuilder Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB).The cutter’s propulsion system consists of one LM2500 gas turbine in a COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine (CODAG) arrangement with two MTU 20V1163 diesel engines. The propulsion system was provided by MTU Detroit Diesel Corporation.