Tag Archives: Japan Coast Guard

Racing Stripes in the South China Sea

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How about this for “the way of the world” in 2024? Below you have a bilateral U.S.-Philippine search and rescue exercise conducted on 16 July between the U.S. Coast Guard Bethoff-class cutter USCGC Waesche (WMSL 751) and the Philippine Coast Guard ‘s Teresa Magbanua-class patrol vessel BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702). Operations included a joint sail and conducting search and rescue (SAR) training, personnel transfer evolutions, and bilateral sailing.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Julia VanLuven)

As noted by the USCG PAO:

“It was an honor to train with our partners in the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure that we are always ready to respond to save lives on the high seas,” said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of Waesche. “We look forward to fostering our relationship as we strive to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific. Sharing lessons learned and best practices through person-to-person exercises is the best way to improve our ability to operate together on the unforgiving ocean.”

The 418-foot Waesche is under the operational control of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

She is the second Legend-class cutter of the U.S. Coast Guard and is homeported at Coast Guard Island in Alameda. With a 4,600 long-ton displacement, these frigate-sized cutters have a top speed “in excess of 28 knots” a seriously long range of 12,000 nautical miles, and carry a crew of up to 170 including an aviation det, and, when deployed on such a mission, typically some USN and USMC commo and language specialists. Armament is limited to a 57mm DP Bofors, a CIWS, some crew-served MGs, and passive countermeasures (Mk 53 Nulka decoy, Mk 36 SRBOC, AN/SLQ-32B(V)2 EW). I’d like to see at least some NSMs and ASW capabilities added as well as CIWS dropped for a SeaRAM or an ADL ESSM system, but hey…

Since leaving the West Coast for her West Pac cruise, Waesche has called at Pohang in South Korea and worked alongside the ROK Coast Guard and at Maizuru, Japan, where she worked alongside the JCG.

Republic of Korea Coast Guard vessel KCG Taepyongyang (KCG-3016), U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL-751) and Japan Coast Guard vessel JCGC Wakasa (PL-93) patrol in formation during a trilateral exercise in the East Sea, June 6, 2024. Coast Guardsmen from Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States used the trilateral exercise as an opportunity to rehearse cohesion between the nations when operating together. U.S. Coast Guard missions in the Indo-Pacific focus on issues directly supporting and advancing our regional partners’ efforts to protect fish stocks, ensure the safety of life at sea, support environmental response, and provide disaster relief. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elijah Murphy)

Racing Stripes of the Philippine Sea

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There is a good reason why so many “coast guards” around the globe have racing stripes similar to the one the U.S. Coast Guard adopted in the 1960s.

The USCG does a lot of unsung nation-building operations around the world and has done so for years. The fact is, a low-tech cutter is often a better training mesh with the navy or maritime patrol force of a small coastal nation. One of the longest relationships is with the Japan Coast Guard, which was founded in May 1948 as the Japan Maritime Safety Agency– notably six years and two months prior to the current Japan Maritime Self Defense Force.

In an ode to the past, and with eyes on the future, the huge (9,300-ton) Shikishima-class patrol vessel Akitsushima (PLH-32) of the JCG last month conducted exercises near the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands in the Philippine Sea with the West Pac-deployed 4,600-ton Bertholf-class National Security Cutter USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756). The drills included operating “helicopters, small boats, and unmanned aerial vehicles to practice interdicting foreign vessels operating illegally inside Japanese waters.”

The two ships looked great together.

Of note, Akitsushima, while the same size as a DDG, is very lightly armed for her tonnage, carrying only two 35mm twin Oerlikons and two optically-trained 20mm Vulcans. She does have an impressive 20,000nm range and the capability to carry two large Super Puma helicopters.

Kimball is a bit better armed, roughly to the level of an old OHP-class frigate (once they lost their one-armed bandits) or to nearly the same standard as the baseline LCS with a 57mm MK110, a CIWS-1B/BL2, and six crew-served MGs as well as soft-kill countermeasures and a Slick-32. Would be a whole lot nicer if they had an ASW suite, an 8-pack of NSMs, and another of VLS ESSMs, but hey, it is still 2021.

Of note, the Ogasawaras are some 600 miles south of Tokyo and are sparsely populated, earning them the nickname of the “Galápagos of the Orient,” making them a target for illegal fishing and other activities. Naturally, military history buffs will recognize the names Chichijima and Iwo Jima in the chain.