USCGC Bear (WMEC-901)

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Career (USCG)
USCGC Bear (WMEC-901) logo
Builder:	Tacoma Boatbuilding Company, Tacoma, Washington
Laid down:	August 23, 1979
Launched:	September 25, 1980
Commissioned:	February 4, 1983
Status:	Active
Homeport:	Portsmouth, Virginia
General Characteristics
Displacement:	1,800 tons
Length:	270 ft (82 m)
Beam:	38 ft (11.6 m)
Draught:	14.5 ft (4.4 m)
Propulsion:	Twin turbo-charged ALCO V-18 diesel engines
Speed:	19.5 knots
Range:	9,900 miles
Complement:	100 personnel (14 officers, 86 enlisted)
Electronic warfare and decoys:	AN/SLQ-32 (receive only)
Armament:	1 OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun 2 x .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun
Aircraft carried:	HH-65 Dolphin HH-60 Jayhawk MH-68 Stingray
Motto:	Summa Potentia Per Facilitatem Highest might / ability through willingness.

USCGC Bear (WMEC-901) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. She was laid down August 23, 1979 and launched September 25, 1980 by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company of Tacoma, Washington. She was commissioned February 4, 1983. She was named for USRC Bear (AG-29), a steam barquentine that was built in Scotland and served the United States Treasury Department in the United States Revenue Cutter Service's Alaskan Patrol.[1]

In 1986, Bear responded to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster by searching over 1900 square nautical miles.[2] During any given patrol, BEAR conducts a wide-spectrum of missions such as search and rescue, alien migrant interdiction operations, counter-drug patrols, fisheries enforcement, and international engagement -- illustrating the versatile, multi-mission character of the Coast Guard and the cutter fleet. Since her commissioning she has made 18 significant drug seizures involving 12 marijuana and 6 cocaine busts.[3]