USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750)
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 USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) |
|
| Career (USCG) |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | January 2001 |
| Builder: | Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Mississippi |
| Laid down: | March 29, 2005 |
| Launched: | September 29, 2006 |
| Christened: | November 11, 2006 |
| Homeport: | Alameda, California (future) |
| Motto: | "Legends Begin Here" |
| Status: | In Commission(Special) |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4300 LT |
| Length: | 418′ |
| Propulsion: | Combined diesel and gas |
| Speed: | 28+ knots |
| Range: | 12,000 nm |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System |
| Armament: | 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System Close-In Weapons System SRBOC/NULKA countermeasures chaff/rapid decoy launcher |
| Aircraft carried: | (2) MCH, or (4) VUAV or (1) MCH and (2) VUAV |
USCGC Bertholf (WMSL 750) is the planned name of the first Legend-class maritime security cutter of the United States Coast Guard. It is named for Ellsworth P. Bertholf, former Commandant of both the Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard.
Construction began in 2005 by Northrop Grumman's Ship System Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship was launched on September 29, 2006, [1] and christened November 11, 2006.[2]
Contents |
[edit] National Security Cutter
The USCGC Bertholf is the first-in-class ship of the design termed the National Security Cutter. The NSCs are designed to replace the aging 378′ Hamilton-class cutters currently in the fleet. The Bertholf is the first large ship to begin construction in the Coast Guard's multi-year "Deepwater" acquisitions project.
[edit] Features
- Automated weapon systems
- Medium caliber deck gun (57 mm) capable of stopping rogue merchant vessels far from shore
- State-of-the-art C4ISR enhancing interoperability between Coast Guard and DoD
- Detection and defense capabilities against chemical, biological, or radiological attack
- Advanced sensors for intelligence collection and sharing
- Real-time tracking and seamless Common Operational Picture/Maritime Domain Awareness via integration with Rescue 21
[edit] Deepwater Controversy
The Deepwater program was subjected to public scrutiny in late 2006 and early 2007 following reports of overspending and design flaws. Specifically, the issues with the Bertholf relate to the projected life of the ship. Originally the US Coast Guard had expected the cutter to be a single-crew vessel, and spend a normal amount of time in port and underway. However, the US Coast Guard decided to implement a multi-crew system, similar but distinct to what the US Navy uses on its ballistic missile submarines. Rather than the Navy's system of two crews sharing a single hull, the CG multi-crew concept involve both multiple crews and multiple hulls. The addition of the multi-crewing enables the ship to spend more time at sea each year, but also decreases the expected lifespan of the vessel from 30 years to 20 years.
[edit] Milestones
- The USCGC Bertholf was the first to fire the Bofors 57 mm gun aboard a U.S. vessel on the 11th of February 2008.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- USCG Maritime Security Cutter, Large
- USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751)
- Equipment of the United States Coast Guard
