Equipment of The United States Coast Guard - Cutters

Cutters

Originally, the Coast Guard used the term cutter in its traditional sense, as a type of small sailing ship. Today it officially uses the term for any vessel which has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew, and includes only and all vessels of 65-foot (20 m) or more in length.

Larger cutters (over 180 feet (55 m) in length) are controlled by Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). Smaller cutters come under control of District Commands. Cutters usually carry a motor surf boat and/or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. Polar-class icebreakers (WAGB) carry an Arctic Survey Boat (ASB) and Landing Craft.

Currently, the Coast Guard is leasing three 179-foot Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships from the U.S. Navy. All are homeported in Pascagoula, Mississippi. These vessels are used primarily for counterdrug patrols.

Any Coast Guard crew with officers or petty officers assigned has law-enforcement authority (14 USC Sec. 89) and can conduct armed boardings.

• For a complete list of Cutters see: United States Coast Guard Cutter and List of United States Coast Guard cutters
• Polar-class icebreaker (WAGB): There are three WAGB's, all home ported in Seattle, Washington. Two are 399-foot (122 m) icebreakers (the Polar Sea and the Polar Star), and one newer 420-foot (130 m) icebreaker, the Healy.
• National Security Cutter (WMSL)
• High Endurance Cutter (WHEC): These are Hamilton class cutters, 378 feet (115 m) along the waterline. There are 12 WHECs (homeports are: Charleston, South Carolina (2); Seattle, Washington (2); Alameda, California (3); Kodiak, Alaska(1); San Diego, California (2); and Honolulu, Hawaii (2).)
• USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30): The Mackinaw is a 240-foot (73 m) heavy icebreaker built for operations on the North American Great Lakes and home ported at Cheboygan, Michigan.
• USCGC Eagle (WIX-327): The Eagle is home ported at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. It is used for training voyages for Coast Guard Academy cadets and Coast Guard officer candidates. The USCGC Eagle was built in Germany as the Horst Wessel, and was taken by the United States as a war reparation in 1945.
• Offshore Patrol Cutter (Still in development)
• Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC): These are mostly 210-foot (64 m) and 270-foot (82 m) cutters, although two "mature" class cutters fall into the WMEC category (the Alex Haley and the Acushnet, both stationed in Alaska).
• Seagoing Buoy Tender (WLB): There are 16 Juniper-class buoy tenders being commissioned.
• USCG coastal buoy tender
• USCG Katmai Bay class icebreaking tug
• 156' Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter
• 110′ Island Class Cutter (WPB): There are currently 41 110′ patrol boats in active duty service in the U.S. Coast Guard. Eight additional 110' patrol boats were extended to 123 feet (37 m) but structural issues developed shortly after these conversions and the cutters were deemed unsafe to operate. The Coast Guard as of 2007 the USCG was seeking a $50 million refund from Bollinger Shipyards. Six of the WPB fleet are assigned to the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) in the Persian Gulf to assist guarding Iraq's waters.
• 87' Marine Protector Class Cutter(WPB): This is a class of 87-foot (27 m) patrol boats.
• Island class patrol boat