The Coast Guard's New Cutter Settles in San Francisco

The US Coast Guard base in Alameda, California recently became homeport for the newest cutter to enter the fleet: the USCG Bertholf (WMSL-752). Built to support the Coast Guard's national security mission, the 418' Bertholf is the first of the USCG's Legend Class cutters, part of a long overdue (and delayed) effort to replace the Hamilton-class cutters that were built during the 1960s.

Bertolf, and the the rest of the Legend Class ships, were designed to operate in the new post-Cold War global environment. Based on a Pentagon contract issued in 2002, Bertholf is a product of the post 9/11 emphasis on maritime homeland defense -- with all the delays and cost overruns that have come to typify that effort. That said, her list of features includes:

* Automated weapons systems
* A 57 mm deck gun capable of stopping rogue merchant vessels
* Helicopter launch and recovery pad with hangar capacity for two aircraft
* A stern boat well for small boat launch and recovery
* Bow thrusters, for enhanced maneuverability
* State-of-the-art communications systems to enhance interoperability between Coast Guard and the the Department of Defense
* Detection and defense capabilities against chemical, biological, or radiological attack
* Advanced sensors for intelligence collection and sharing
* An advanced Ships Integrated Control System to improve automation and reduce manpower requirements.

After shakedown voyages and commissioning, Bertholf has settled her new home in Alameda, and this week the ship returned from an eight-week cruise to complete Combat System Ship Qualification Trials -- a series of exercises to evaluate weapons systems, test the propulsion system, and practice fueling at sea. We'll be keeping an eye out for her on San Francisco Bay in the years ahead. In the meantime, this Pentagon-produced video provides an overview of the Bertholf's features and how the ship fits into the new defense procurement landscape:

Comments

[runescape gold]

When you play games, you really thought about the Department of your equipment well enough, your account than others, your gold enough ... There are better! What you want to have here.come on..Let's go!

[jordan shoes]

A man called a lawyer and asked, air jordans“How much would you charge me to answer three questions?”cheap jordan shoes The lawyer said, “$400 dollars!” And the man said, “That’s a lot of money, isn’t it?” The lawyer said, michael jordan shoes“I guess so. What’s your third question?”

[jordan shoes]

good

[Lucas "Bulletproof" Andrews]

What's all this about shoes? ..I'm afraid I'm lost.