USCG Patrol Boat

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USCG Matagorda. Note the Short Range Prosecutor launch on the rear launching ramp

The United States Coast Guard has maintained various classes of patrol boats. The USCG currently has 49 patrol boats in its Island class. Their pennant numbers are WPB 1301 through WPB 1349.

As built, these vessels were all 110 feet in length. The USCG is in the process of refitting these vessels. The refit includes adding 13 feet to the stern, to make room for a high-speed stern launching ramp, and replacing the superstructure so that these vessels have enough room to accommodate mixed gender crews. The refit added about 15 tons to the vessel's displacement, and reduced it maximum speed by approximately one knot. Recently, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas H. Collins made the decision to stop at eight hulls the Integrated Deepwater System’s (IDS) conversion of 110-foot Island Class patrol boats into 123-foot patrol boats. The decision to stop conversions at eight hulls reflects the Coast Guard’s determination that the 123-foot cutters will not provide homeland security capabilities required to meet current or projected needs of the post-9/11 threat environment, as defined in the revised Deepwater Mission Needs Statement.

In August 2006, a Lockheed Martin engineer went public with allegations that the company and the Coast Guard were ignoring serious security flaws in the refitting project, and that they were likely to repeat the same mistakes on similar projects. The flaws included blind spots in watch cameras, FLIR equipment not suitable for operating under extreme temperatures, and the use of non-shielded cables in secure communications systems, a violation of TEMPEST. ^[1]

In late November of 2006 all of the 123 WPB's were taken out of service due to debilitating problems with its hull, engine and propeller systems. These as well as other issues - such as C4ISR problems - drove the program $60 million over budget on just the first 8 boats which was three times the original bid for those boats. Ironically the 41 unmodified 110's - which were destined for the 123 upgrade - are now being pressed harder in to service to take up the slack.^[2]^[3]

Displacement:	154 tons full load (110 foot version)
Displacement:	166 tons full load (123 foot version)
Speed:	29.5 plus knots (110 foot version)
Speed:	28 knots (123 foot version)
Length:	110 feet
Beam:	21 feet
Range:	1,900 nautical miles
Armament:	One MK 38/25 mm machine gun, two .50-caliber machine guns
Complement:	16

Among their missions are combating smuggling and illegal immigration.

Boarding parties can be launched while the vessel is at speed, through the cutter's stern launching ramp. The boarding party launch is powered by water jets, and is extremely fast. The stern launching system requires just a single crewmember to remain on deck to launch or retrieve the boarding party.