Eighth US Coast Guard NSC departs shipyard for Hawaii homeport

Future USCGC Midgett, the US Coast Guard’s eighth national security cutter (NSC), got underway from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard after being delivered to the coast guard early May.

The ship is headed for Honolulu, Hawaii, where it will be stationed along with the seventh NSC, Kimball, and fast response cutters (FRCs) Joseph Gerczak and Oliver Berry.

FRC William Hart, scheduled for commissioning in late 2019, will also be stationed there.
NSC 8 is named to honor the hundreds of members of the Midgett family who have served in the US Coast Guard and its predecessor services. At least 10 members of the Midgett family earned high honors from the US Coast Guard for their heroic lifesaving deeds. Seven Midgett family members were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the US Coast Guard’s highest award for saving a life, and three were awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal.

NSCs are 418 feet (127 m) long with a 54-foot beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

Second National Security Cutter, Waesche, delivered to Coast Guard

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard conducted preliminary acceptance of the second National Security Cutter, Waesche (WMSL 751), during a ceremony Friday at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., marking the official transfer of Waesche from the shipbuilder to the Coast Guard.

Rear Adm. Ronald J. Rábago, the Coast Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Acquisition, presided over the ceremony held on Waesche’s flight deck. Friday’s delivery is a major milestone in Waesche’s transition to full operational status in the Coast Guard’s fleet, allowing Waesche to enter “In-Commission Special” status prior to formal commissioning. “In-Commission Special” status begins when the Coast Guard’s crew formally takes responsibility of the vessel and moves aboard the cutter. Waesche’s sail away from Pascagoula is scheduled for late December, followed by further crew training and certification in Pensacola, Fla., then departure to her new homeport of Alameda, Calif., in late January. Final acceptance of Waesche will occur following a year-long warranty period and completion of final acceptance trials.

“Hundreds of people have poured themselves into the acquisition and construction of this fine ship over the past four years,” said Capt. Lance Bardo, Waesche’s prospective commanding officer. “We have been chosen to take this brand new, major national asset to sea to prepare her for a lifetime of service in public safety and national security.”

During recently completed acceptance trails, the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey recommended acceptance and described Waesche as very capable, meeting or exceeding readiness expectations. The positive results of Waesche acceptance trials reflect lessons learned from the first National Security Cutter, Bertholf (WMSL 750).

The 418-foot Waesche is the second ship in the new Legend-class of cutters designed to be the flagship of the Coast Guard’s modernized fleet, capable of executing the most challenging maritime safety and security missions around the globe. Eight cutters are planned for the class. More information on the National Security Cutter program can be found online at http://www.uscg.mil/acquisition/nsc/default.asp.

Coastie Cutters Got Leaky Networks

The Coast Guard's 5,000-ton, 400-foot National Security Cutters, a centerpiece of the troubled $25-billion Deepwater modernization program, are having serious problems with their secure networks, according to leaked documents. The networks, which must adhere to the National Security Agency's TEMPEST standard, are 70% likely to fail to meet that standard -- and on a scale of 1 to 10, the potential conquences have a severity of 8, the documents from the Coast Guard's Acquisition Directorate posit.

What does this mean, in plain English? "If NSC1 does not meet TEMPEST requirements ... by delivery, the cutter will be unable to process classified information," according to the first document. The vessels, built by Northrop Grumman with electronics provided by Lockheed Martin, will not be suitable for sensitive missions and won't be safe to connect to Navy and other military networks. In an age where connectivity means effectiveness, the cutters will be isolated.

The is a Wired website news story by David Axe and you can see the rest of it at:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/09/coastie-cutters.html