Category Archives: littoral

Prime Chance West?

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Marine Corps AH-1Z Vipers of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367 “Scarface” execute flight operations aboard USS Canberra (LCS 30), showing off something which a littoral combat ship could excel at—providing a forward lily pad for maritime sea control.

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter, attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367, is folded on the flight deck of Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) as part of Navy-Marine Corps integration in the White Beach, Okinawa, Oct. 3, 2026. A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter, attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367, approaches the flight deck of Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) while conducting flight operations in the Philippine Sea, Oct. 1, 2026. 

Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) moors at White Beach, Okinawa, with a U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter, attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367, aboard during Navy-Marine Corps integration, Oct. 3, 2026.

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 364 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flies over Oahu, Hawaii, Oct. 7, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Fernando Cruz Martinez)

Canberra is working with DESRON 7 overseas.

“As the Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron (DESRON) in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of assigned ships in the Southeast Asia area of operations.”

The Navy has a history of running “green” light attack helicopters from small decks, hosting Task Force 117/118 Army OH/AH-58C/Ds and AH/M-6 Little Birds operated as “Sea Cavalry” during Operation Prime Chance in the Persian Gulf (1987-89) followed by Desert Shield/Storm and off Haiti in Uphold Democracy.

US Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior of TF 118’s 4 Sqn., 17 Cav., 18 Aviation Brig. “Thugs” overflying USS Curts (FFG-38). Academy model top box art.

Task Force 118, OP Prime Chance, a Navy FFG with A/OH-58D Kiowa embarked

With the Army giving all its Kiowas a dirt nap in without replacement, and the Apache just a beast, the Viper could be up.

The Marines have been using Vipers and companion UH-1Y Venoms in a series of very kinetic maritime interdictions in both the Middle East and Eastern Pacific. Perhaps LCS has found a mission it can do.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), Littoral Combat Force-24, flies over a vessel of interest being destroyed during a Maritime Interdiction Operation while in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 05, 2026. The vessel of interest was boarded and cleared before being destroyed. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, deter malign actors and protect the homeland through continuous presence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Welcome aboard, here’s your FNC

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How about these great images of the incoming batch of conscripts (Värnpliktig) reporting for service with the Stockholms Amfibieregemente (Amf 1, the 1st Marine Regiment) in Sweden?

On day one, before they even go for their equipment draw or haircut, they meet their new (to them, at least) Automatkarbin 5, or Ak5.

The Swedes had gotten away from conscription in 2007 then resumed it in 2017 as Russia got increasingly, well, Russia. Note that big winter triggerguard, something needed in Sweden, and the super comfy sling. I love a wide sling.  

Today, just 8,000 youth see mandatory service annually, training anywhere from 6 to 15 months; plans are to ramp this up to over 10,000 in the next couple of years. About 30,000 inductees report, and the upper tier is selected to serve. 

For reference, Sweden has about 29,000 men and women on active duty, a figure that would triple when the reserves and home guard (Hemvärnet) are activated.

Amf 1 was formed in 2000 as part of the Swedish Amphibious Corps. Originally raised from the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment, KA 1, it was renamed to its current title in October 2021. Its strength fluctuates between 800 and 1,100 depending on the number of Värnpliktigs on the rolls.

The country has a long tradition of conscripts watching the coast, going back to at least the 9th century ledungen. Here, Landstormen held down the task in 1914–1915.

Sweden has about 200,000 Ak5s, an FN FNC variant produced under license domestically by Bofors Carl Gustaf AB. While FN stopped producing the 5.56 long-stroke gas piston (like the Kalashnikov) carbine in 1999, the Swedes kept producing them until 2006 and still have arsenal-level workshops keeping them going.

They will soon be passed into the reserves, replaced by the incoming Ak24, a variant of the short-stroke piston Finnish Sako ARG 40.

Just the USCG Enforcing International Naval Blockades, again

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The Coast Guard, while on its face tasked with preventing smuggling and maintaining the U.S. maritime border, also has a long history of running maritime blockades off the coasts of other countries.

The rundown:

  • The Civil War: Cutters like the USRC Harriet Lane (which fired the first maritime shot of the war at Fort Sumter) were deployed to enforce blockades off Charleston, Wilmington, and New Orleans, with smaller, shallow-draft cutters often tasked with inshore interdiction while the Navy stuck to more blue-water ops.
  • The Spanish-American War saw eight Revenue Cutters join the Navy’s blockade of Cuba and Puerto Rico. This included the USRC McCulloch, Morrill, Windom, Manning, and Hudson enforcing the outer and inner rings of the blockade off Havana and Cienfuegos, directly engaging Spanish shore batteries and gunboats while making turns to capture blockade runners.
  • WWII Neutrality Patrol: The USCG established maritime blockades off Greenland to deny Germany access to cryolite mines and weather tracking stations even before the U.S. entered the war.
  • Cuban Naval Quarantine-– Besides the Coast Guard patrol aircraft based in South Florida, at least 12 cutters were involved in the TF 136 and TF 137 blockade of Castro’s island during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, including the service’s only oceanography ship. Further, USCGC Barataria (WAVP-381), while on met duty at Ocean Station Echo in the North Atlantic some 2,200 miles northeast of Cuba, identified and solo trailed a Soviet freighter with missile deck cargo for several days until the Navy could join the effort.
  • Vietnam War: Operation Market Time, arguably the most comprehensive coastal blockade in USCG history, which included Squadron One (deploying 26 82-foot Point-class patrol boats) and Squadron Three (deploying 31 blue water High Endurance Cutters between 1967 and 1972) assigned to the effort, getting their hands dirty numerous times and sending NVA trawlers loaded with weapons to the bottom. RonThree alone conducted more than 65,000 vessel stops in the Vietnamese littoral.
  • The service conducted a sustained offshore surveillance of Grenada in 1983-84 (Operation Island Breeze) after the U.S. invasion of the island.
  • Operation Maritime Intercept (1990–2003): Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, cutters deployed to the North Arabian Gulf alongside Navy forces to enforce UN sanctions against Iraq. Coast Guard Boarding Teams (LEDETs) were heavily relied upon for their expertise in maritime law enforcement aboard civilian cargo ships.
  • Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003): Six 110-foot Island-class USCG patrol boats and Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs) deployed to the Khawr Abd Allah waterway to maintain a blockade against Iraqi forces, secure oil platforms, and clear routes for humanitarian vessels.
  • The Vigilant Sentry effort off Haiti has been ongoing since 2004.
  • Operation Southern Spear combined maritime interdiction with the oil blockade and intervention in Venezuela, which has since morphed into JTF-WHEM last month. The Venezuelan oil blockade led the USCG to one stop (Skipper) and seven seizures, including the Guyanan/Russian-flagged Marinera (Bella 1) off Iceland after a leisurely 2,500 nm, 20-day pursuit. LEDETs may also have conducted three seizures in the Indian Ocean.

This brings us to a release last Friday announcing an all-USCG operation that stopped a vessel looking to break the oil blockade on Cuba, the M/V Grace, following the detention of a similar vessel earlier this summer, M/V Jaira Provider, also headed to Havana.

The old 210-foot cutter Alert (WMEC-630) stopped and rerouted the vessel to Mexico, assisted by the new 154-foot FRC Charles Sexton (WPC-1108) and other USCG assets.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Alert (WMEC-630) and Charles Sexton (WPC-1108) escort the motor vessel Grace in early September 2026. The Coast Guard interdicted the vessel following a coordinated international enforcement operation concerning its suspected illicit transport of fuel to Cuba. The vessel was later escorted to Progreso, Mexico, where a Mexican Navy inspection team confirmed the presence of large quantities of fuel in its ballast tanks. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

011026-G-KH296-1002

In early September, a Coast Guard tactical team boarded M/V Grace in the Caribbean Sea. M/V Grace was transiting to Cuba, carrying fuel, and was believed to be employing tactics common amongst the “dark fleet.” After the boarding, the Coast Guard escorted the M/V Grace to Progreso, Mexico, where a Mexican Navy (MARINA) inspection team confirmed large quantities of fuel in the vessel’s ballast tanks. The vessel was also carrying several containers believed to contain illicit fuel.

More Maritime Patrol Birds

With the USCG so busy doing maritime patrol and blockade work as of late, it is no surprise that last week the service also announced it will be buying another six HC-130J Super Herks, expanding its program to 31 such LRSAs, complete with a 360-degree, belly-mounted, AN/APY-11 multimode surface search radar, advanced IR cameras, and a 20+ hour endurance.

USCG Air Station Kodiak HC-130Js, AET3 Lauren Bulow

They have been especially useful in keeping tabs on Chinese ships in the Arctic just off Alaska.

An HC-130J Super Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak observes two Russian Border Guard ships and two Chinese Coast Guard ships approximately 440 miles southwest of St. Lawrence Island, Sept. 28, 2024. This marked the northernmost location where the U.S. Coast Guard has observed Chinese Coast Guard vessels. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)

52 Blue Water Days on a 154 footer (with more to follow)

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The USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) returns to homeport at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, Sept. 8, 2026.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Mikaela McGee)

The crew of the 154-foot Sentinel (Webber) class Fast Response Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC-1126)  returned to Honolulu last week following a 52-day/7,500nm patrol in support of Coast Guard Oceania District’s Operation Blue Pacific.

That is a serious stint for a 150-footer.

From USCG PAO:

The Joseph Gerczak crew departed Coast Guard Base Honolulu in July and traveled more than 7,500 nautical miles, making port calls in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Fiji and American Samoa. Patrolling in support of Operation Blue Pacific, the cutter’s crew worked alongside Pacific Island partners to bolster maritime security and sovereignty, counter illicit maritime activities, and protect vital marine resources.

The Joseph Gerczak crew exercised partnerships with the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Fiji through bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements.

In total, the Joseph Gerczak crew and their Pacific partners conducted 29 bilateral maritime law enforcement boardings and eight high-seas boardings in support of Operation Island Chief, a coordinated effort to detect and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Pacific.

Stacking FRCs deep in the Pac

Gerczak is one of three FRCs in Hawaii, with sisters USCGC Oliver Berry (WPC-1124) and William Hart (WPC-1134), all of which took part in RIMPAC last month in one way or another.

Four more FRCs are in Guam under the control of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia: Myrtle Hazard (WPC-1139), Oliver Henry (WPC-1140), Frederick Hatch (WPC-1143), and Vincent Danz (WPC-1162).

A fifth FRC slated for Guam, USCGC Jeffrey Palazzo (WPC-1163), was commissioned on September 11th in New York City.

Named for a Coast Guard Reservist (after eight years of active service) who was an FDNY firefighter who died with Staten Island’s Rescue Company 5 on September 11th, the ceremony was sincere.

Incidentally, Palazzo is the 63rd FRC in Coast Guard service. She will be the 14th stationed in the Central and Western Pacific between the Guam- and Hawaii-based cutters and the six of the newly formed Expeditionary Cutter Squadron (formerly the Bahrain-based PATFORSWA), which will be based on a rotational basis in the Philippines and points west.

Of note, the PI just picked up two surplus 87-foot Marine Protector-class WPBs from the USCG as well.

Meanwhile, at least two ECS FRCs, USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) and Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141), were recently in Indonesia to take part in Super Garuda Shield 2026.

There, the cutters hosted Joes of the 124th Division Signal Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, for the installation of gee-whiz Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) stations– which is very interesting.

The French Brown Water Geese of Indochina

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Following up on Tuesday’s post on USCG Grumman (G-38) JRF-5G Goose amphibians, what’s the rest of the story of the type’s journey in Indochina?

Twelve ex-USN JRF-5s were sold to France in 1952 and delivered to Escadrille 8.S, based at Cat-Lai (later a major Brown Water Navy base) near Saigon (Indochina).

Viet Minh War, 1954, a French Grumman Goose (JRF-5) aids the gunboats patrolling the inland waters of Indo-China. NH 79370

They were mainly used for medevac, transport, and liaison, but in a pinch were equipped with bombs and gun pods to operate in coastal and riverine interdiction.

Five additional ex-USN JRF-5s were delivered in 1954 and fielded at Tan Son Nhut, still under E 8.S.

JRF-5 Goose French Navy Aéronautique navale l’Escadrille 8.S Indochina

Once the French withdrew, four still-flyable JRF-5s were sent to the South Pacific colony of New Caledonia, while the rest were shipped to African colonies.

Goose dets endured at Alger-Maison Blanche (Algeria), where E 8.S was relocated, as well as with 27F in Senegal, flying from Ouakam and Dakar Bel-Air until 1961, when they were finally withdrawn after a Goose making a connection between Dakar and Simti crashed on take-off and caught fire at Tambacounda, Senegal, where it had stopped over, killing six, including two crew, VADM Pierre Ponchardier and his wife, and another married couple. Ponchardier was the famed founder of the French SAS B Commando in 1945 and Dinassaut 8, both of which went on to lots of sneaky para and frogmen things in Indochina.

JRF-5 Goose, French Navy 27 Flotte, F-12, in Dakar, late 1950s. This is USN BuNo 34078, which flew with Escadrille 8S as 8S-7, and was lost with Ponchardier and five others on 27 Jan 1961.

JRF-5 Goose French Navy Aéronavale l’Escadrille 8.S in Algeria late 1950s

JRF-5 Goose, French Navy, Aéronautique navale Dakar 1960

These 12 ex-USN aircraft are confirmed to Aéronautique Navale Escadrille 8S, Indochina:
  • BuNo 04349 (French 8S-3, w/o Sep 24, 1953. SOC Spr 21, 1954)
  • BuNo 04358 (8S-1, WFU Dec 5, 1961)
  • BuNo 34078 (8S-7, later 27F-12 out of Dakar, lost 27 Jan 1961)
  • BuNo 37784 (8S-2, WFU May 24, 1960 at St Mandrier, France
  • BuNo 37791 (8S-4, later N75333, crashed Oct 9, 1974, after takeoff from Wichita, Kansas
  • BuNo 37831 (the second 8S-8; w/o Oct 4, 1956 at Cape Tenes, Algeria)
  • BuNo 84799 (8S-5, WFU Dec 5, 1961)
  • BuNo 84818 (8S-11, w/o Apr 25, 1953 at Cat Lai)
  • BuNo 87727 (8S-8, w/o Apr 3, 1952 at Nha Trang)
  • BuNo 87738 (the second 8S-11, w/o Nov 7, 1958 at St Mandrier
  • BuNo 87741 (8S-9, WFU Aug 25, 1959)
  • BuNo 87742 (8S-10, WFU Dec 5, 1961)

Can we talk ESBs?

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The Navy just received the final ship in the six-hull Expeditionary Sea Base program, transferring in the delivery ceremony of the 106,664-ton (not a misprint) USNS (future USS) Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) last week.

No other fleet in the world has anything that even comes close, not to mention having a half-dozen of them…

Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8)

A peek into the hangar opening at the front of the huge topside aviation deck. You can store (at least) four CH-53s in there.

That metacentric height, tho…

While big deck commissioned (USS) ‘phibs like LHDs/LHAs, and LPDs get all the attention, the ESB, basically a converted Alaska-class oil tanker, has largely slid under the radar, and it should get more love.

Initially called the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and the MLP Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), over the past decade, five other huge sister ESBs have been delivered: USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), USS John L. Canley (ESB 6), and USNS (future USS) Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7).

Commanded by a Navy O-6 with a permanently embarked 250-member military crew and accommodations for up to another 298 transient personnel, these gigantic NASSCO-built platforms run as big as an aircraft carrier and can rightfully be considered a large LPH with a four-spot flight deck for MV-22s/CH-53s, a mission deck, a hangar, an ordnance storage magazine, and underway replenishment facilities.

They are designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. The ship is perfect for missions such as counter-piracy, maritime security, airborne minesweeping, and humanitarian and disaster relief, all with an emphasis on rotor-wing aircraft.

I mean, look at this 52,000-square-foot flight deck. For reference, it is the third-largest in the Navy’s inventory, just behind LHA/LHDs and CVNs. The giant hangar is forward towards the bow, so no elevators are needed. But you can imagine that deck as a great base for UAVs.

The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) sails in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 17, 2020. Photo by: Sgt. Megan Roses | VIRIN: 201017-M-JH926-303

Plus, underneath the flight deck, the ESBs have a 25,000-square-foot mission deck used for storing heavy equipment, vehicle staging, and small boats.

Yes, they are slow (just 15 knots, max), but the Navy has mitigated that low speed by forward-deploying these ships overseas (ESB 3 is in CENTCOM, ESB 4 is at FDNF Souda Bay, ESB 5 and ESB 6 are at FDNF Saipan, etc.).

However, they are criminally under-armed with just 12 .50 cal stations, but are supposed to be used in low-threat situations and, in theory, could always be escorted by a DDG or two when not.

They should probably at least get a proper weapon fit more akin to an LHA/CVN (two RAM launchers, two CIWS, two Sea Sparrow launchers, four Mk 38s/Mk 46s plus the sensors and fire control to use them as well as soft kills such as Nukla, SLQ-32B, etc.) for which they have the space to spare for sure but will add a bit of cost and require some more rates to keep running.

Hell, maybe they should get some VLS cells for quad-packed ESSMs (the San Antonio-class LPDs were designed for such a thing but not fitted with them), or strike-length TLAMs.

Now that could get very interesting.

File under ‘No Suprise’ : Navy Shore Based Harpoon System Successful

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It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, as Harpoon entered service in 1977– yes, almost 50 years ago– but the new Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) was validated at its Developmental Test (DT-1) at Point Mugu Sea Range (PMSR) in July 2026, “validating the system’s ability to engage and neutralize maritime threats.”

Boeing Photo via DVIDS 260721-O-HP119-5272

During the event, the Harpoon missile successfully launched from land and engaged the target vessel in near-shore/littoral waters.

It is planned to ship these to Taiwan, which has a $2.3B program to field 100 HCDS launchers and 400 missiles– a pretty good way to keep the local littoral their local littoral.

It should also be noted that the background concept has been extensively validated over the years, with the Royal Danish Navy fielding two 8-missile batteries of Scania 113M/320 truck-mounted quad-packed Harpoons from 1988 to 2003.

The Danish Harpoon setup. Marinens Biblioteks digitale arkiv MAB-16884

Plus, Ukraine received 20 Harpoons in 2022 from donations by Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.S., UK, and Spain for use in ground-based launchers, though little has been seen of them. Like, literally. The Ukrainians conceal them inside cargo containers to avoid the drone ka-boom.

The Danes also loved to heavily camouflage their Harpoons, so you can be sure the Taiwanese will be sure to do the same.

But, why?

So why bother with a land-based trailerable Harpoon when the Marines already have the smaller Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS) ground-based system which carries two Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles?

A Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher deploys into position aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2021.  (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Nick Mannweiler, released)

Well, throw weight for one. While the 13-foot/800-pound NSM is a newer and more streamlined missile, it only has a 264-pound warhead, while the 15-foot/1,500-pound Harpoon totes 500 pounds of boom and delivers it with more kinetic energy by virtue of mass and speed.

Yes, NSM has a longer published range of 100nm while the RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II has a published range of 75nm, but keep in mind those are public figures.

Of course, the 8-ton NMESIS with its two missiles is CH-53E/K (hoist) or C-130 (internal) aircraft compatible and built to operate in much more austere environments, ready to pop off an LCU, LSM, or LCAC onto a beach while the HCDS, based on the same HEMTT trailer as the Army’s THAAD, is more of a C-17/industrial-grade roadway kinda thing, as its weight is likely closer to 35 tons.

While HCDS is set to deliver to Taiwan to complement indigenous HF-2 and HF-3 anti-ship launchers, it might not be a bad idea for the USN to invest in a few batteries of these, for a just-in-case type of scenario. Put them in the reserves with two Marine Reserve Artillery Battalions, one staged on the East Coast, the other on the West.

Speaking of Marines and Harpoons, since you came this far, how about these great very recent shots of VMFA-232 “Red Devils” F-18C/Ds out of MCAS Iwakuni conducting an anti-ship exercise, complete with two AGM-84s under the wings along with a pair each of Sidewinders and AMRAAMS for emergency use.

Nice to see the classics.

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, lands on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan, during a harpoon exercise, Aug. 19, 2026. VMFA-232 stands ready to integrate and seize the strategic advantage to ensure stability in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alejandra Vega)

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, flies off the coast of Japan, Aug, 19, 2026. U.S. Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 conduct aerial refueling operations in support of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, demonstrating the Marine Corps’ ability to sustain and generate combat airpower. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Getz)

Retro-Vintage Style Recruiting Posters Show off USCG’s New Tactical Jet Ski Program

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Check out these great new recruiting posters for the USCG, which show off current programs (MSRT, Blackfin MH-65Es with HITRON, etc.) in an early 1980s throwback style.

The last features a great image by Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Robertson of Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Ilima Maiava, an aviation survival technician assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei, Hawaii, during training with a Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin June 3, 2026. The station uses rescue watercraft to assist in rescue swimmer training by providing safety watch, mitigating the use of two helicopters.

It also serves as a good Segway to the new…

USCG Tactical Personal Watercraft (PWC) Program

Earlier this year, the Coast Guard stood up a program to train maritime LE folks on high-speed watercraft to intercept human smugglers and deter unlawful migration in shallow surf zones and restrictive environments where traditional pursuit boats cannot safely go.

Based in San Diego, the program excels in using jetskis to conduct shallow water pursuits in tight spaces, narrow channels, and shallow surf zones. The training is part of the Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping (CG-RAPTOR) Coast Guard program, which identifies, tests, and deploys new technologies, including tactical personal watercraft.

Coast Guard members conduct personal watercraft interdiction training at Coronado Beach, California, Jan. 15, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Roberto Nieves)

They are using what looks to be all-black Yamaha FX Series WaveRunners with P2P Rescue attachments while the livery includes USCG ensign flashes and white stencils, but no racing stripes.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel demonstrate the use of jet skis during a training exercise in San Diego, California, Feb. 11, 2026. The training highlights the service’s implementation of new watercraft assets to enhance rapid response, interdiction, and maritime safety operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA2 Carmen Caver)

And yes, they use Nods and blue/green lights.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Austin Ladner, a maritime enforcement specialist, maneuvers his personal watercraft during night operations training near San Diego on May 8, 2026. Ladner was one of the first qualified Coast Guard PWC operators and instructors; he initially trained with qualified U.S. Border Patrol personnel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Dugan, a maritime enforcement specialist, instructs his class of unqualified PWC operators during night operations training near San Diego on May 7, 2026. Dugan was one of the first qualified Coast Guard PWC operators and instructors; he initially trained with qualified U.S. Border Patrol personnel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)

They can work directly alongside tactical pursuit boat crews as a combined unit and perform physically demanding interventions in dark, turbulent surf to stop smugglers from abandoning migrants in dangerous waters.

U.S. Coast Guard personal watercraft operators follow behind a Coast Guard boatcrew near Point Loma in San Diego on May 8, 2026. The unqualified PWC operators followed behind a boatcrew as part of a force package before simulating a pursuit by chasing their qualified instructors at high speeds. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)

Note the very sharp USCG insignia on the front cowling of the above image in the inset below:

260508-G-JO805-6513

The force was also seen in New York Harbor during the recent Sail250 evolution.

Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Dorian Casey, assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Washington, operates a Coast Guard personal watercraft near the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) in New York Harbor during Sail 250, July 5, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Perry Shirzad)

You gotta admit, it sells itself as far as recruiting goes.

Going Fast

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Some 52 years ago this month, a high speed formation off the coast of southern California. August 1974.

We see the front runner, the Interdiction Craft Experimental (CPIC-X), in the center, flanked closely by the experimental hydrofoil USS Flagstaff (PGH-1) at the top and the Osprey class PTF (Fast Patrol Boat) 24 at the bottom.

NHHC Catalog #: K-104584

For reference, CPIC-X was a 100-foot high-performance turbine powered prototype combatant built in 1974 by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company and used as a test bed for the Emerlec 30mm mount among other installations. She was loaned to the ROK Navy for a few years then returned.

The Grumman-built Rolls Royce turbine-powered 73-foot Flagstaff entered service in 1968, was loaned to the USCG from November 1974 to March 1977, then returned with a blown engine and abandoned, fading into history around 1999.

The 95-foot Osprey class PTF-24 was among the Navy’s last PT boats and was disposed of in the 1980s, although some of her sisters have been poking around in civilian hands.

FRCs Roaming from San Diego to Panama, to Manila

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Sentinel (Webber) class Fast Response Cutters USCGC Douglas Denman (WPC-1149 and Forrest Rednour (WPC-1129) transit in formation during a photo exercise off the coast of San Diego, July 23, 2026.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Chris Sappey)

The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Denman (WPC 1149) returned to her homeport at Coast Guard Base Ketchikan on Saturday, following a 41-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific. Douglas Denman conducted 42 investigative boardings and queries in support of Operation Border Trident along the sea frontier south of San Diego.

That’s a lot of time underway on a 154-foot boat.

Speaking of which, we have an update on the former PATFORSWA flotilla of six 154s that fell back from Bahrain through the Straits of Malacca and appeared in Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines since the war with Iran made their old base and mission in the Persian Gulf untenable.

It has been confirmed by U.S. Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby earlier this week in a speech during a forum organized by the Stratbase Group in Makati City, PI, that four of the former PATFORSWA boats, now designated the Expeditionary Cutter Squadron (ECS), will be in that Westpac archipelago on a rotational basis. I’d imagine the other two FRCs will be in yard/workup periods in Guam, co-located with the three 154s currently based there.

The USCG is falling back on its FRCs to fill in the gaps left by the stalled $20 billion frigate-sized Offshore Patrol Cutter. The 66th of 77 planned FRCs was delivered in June, bound to be the fourth 154 sent to Guam, set to join the family in a couple of months.

Meanwhile, another sister is roaming off the coast of Panama, winning hearts and minds.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Robert Ward (WPC-1130) alongside Mexican, Ecuadorian, Colombian and Panamanian vessels conduct tactical signaling training during Panamax in the Pacific Ocean near Panama, Aug. 7, 2026. The exercise was designed to improve interoperability, sharpen skills, and demonstrate the ability to respond and deter threats to the region and its critical waterways. (Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class William Kirk)

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