USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)

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Career (USCG)
USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
Builder:	American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Laid down:
Launched:
Commissioned:	1968
Status:	Active
Homeport:	Astoria, Oregon
General Characteristics
Displacement:	759 tons
Length:	210' 6"
Beam:	34'
Draught:	10' 6" max
Propulsion:	2 x V16 2550 horsepower ALCO diesel engines
Speed:	max 18 knots; 2,700 mile range
Range:	cruise 14 knots; 6,100 mile range
Complement:	12 officers, 63 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	2 x AN/SPS-64
Armament:	1 x Mk 38 25mm machine gun 2 x M-2HB .50 caliber machine gun
Aircraft carried:	HH-65 Dolphin

USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter and has served the United States for over 30 years. Commissioned in 1968, Steadfast was home ported in St. Petersburg, Florida for her first 24 years of service. In 1992, she was decommissioned for Major Maintenance Availability (MMA) to extend her service another 25 years. Following MMA in February 1994, Steadfast was re-commissioned and home ported in Astoria, Oregon.

USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) pier-side at Astoria, Oregon.

Since commissioning in 1968, Steadfast has completed over 330 Search and Rescue cases, interdicted over 1.6 million pounds of marijuana and 27,700 pounds of cocaine, seized over 65 vessels, and stopped over 3500 undocumented migrants on the high seas from entering the United States. Steadfast was the first, and is one of only two cutters awarded the gold marijuana leaf, symbolizing one million pounds of marijuana seized. Legend holds Steadfast was named "El Tiburon Blanco" (Spanish for "The White Shark") by Colombian drug smugglers in the 1970's for being such a nemesis to their illegal drug operations. Steadfast's' crew uses the symbol of "El Tiburon Blanco" as one of their logos to epitomize Steadfast's aggressive law enforcement posture.[1]