USCGC Bertholf
Encyclopedia
USCGC Bertholf (WMSL 750) is the first Legend-class
maritime security cutter of the United States Coast Guard
. She is named for Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf
, fourth Commandant
of both the Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard.
In 2005, construction began at Northrop Grumman
's Ship Systems Ingalls Shipyard
in Pascagoula, Mississippi
. She was launched on September 29, 2006, christened November 11, 2006, and commissioned
on August 4, 2008. The cutter's home port is Alameda, California
. Bertholf was the first to fire the Bofors 57 mm gun aboard a U.S. vessel on the 11th of February 2008 by Electronics Technician First Class Matthew Magaro.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcjRzByQ-9A
design and the first large ship to be built under the Coast Guard's multi-year Deepwater
acquisitions project. The NSCs are to replace the fleet's aging 378-foot Hamilton-class cutters
.
program was subjected to public scrutiny in late 2006 and early 2007 following reports of overspending and design flaws. Specifically, the issues with the Bertholf relate to the projected life of the ship. Originally the Coast Guard had expected the cutter to be a single-crew vessel, and spend a normal amount of time in port and underway. However, the US Coast Guard decided to implement a multi-crew system, similar but distinct to what the US Navy uses on its ballistic missile submarine
s. Rather than the Navy's system of two crews sharing a single hull, the CG multi-crew concept involve both multiple crews and multiple hulls. The addition of the multi-crewing enables the ship to spend more time at sea each year, but also decreases the expected lifespan of the vessel from 30 years to 20 years.
National Security Cutter
The United States Coast Guard National Security Cutter , also known as the Legend class and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is one design among several new cutter designs developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program....
maritime security cutter of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. She is named for Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf
Ellsworth P. Bertholf
Ellsworth Price Bertholf was a Congressional Gold Medal recipient who later served as the fourth Captain-Commandant of the United States Revenue Cutter Service and because of the change in the name of the agency, the fourth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard...
, fourth Commandant
Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
of both the Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard.
In 2005, construction began at Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
's Ship Systems Ingalls Shipyard
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. She was launched on September 29, 2006, christened November 11, 2006, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on August 4, 2008. The cutter's home port is Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. Bertholf was the first to fire the Bofors 57 mm gun aboard a U.S. vessel on the 11th of February 2008 by Electronics Technician First Class Matthew Magaro.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcjRzByQ-9A
National Security Cutter
The Bertholf is the lead ship of the National Security CutterNational Security Cutter
The United States Coast Guard National Security Cutter , also known as the Legend class and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is one design among several new cutter designs developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program....
design and the first large ship to be built under the Coast Guard's multi-year Deepwater
Integrated Deepwater System Program
The Integrated Deepwater System Program is the 25-year program to replace all or much of the United States Coast Guard's equipment, including aircraft, ships, and logistics and command and control systems...
acquisitions project. The NSCs are to replace the fleet's aging 378-foot Hamilton-class cutters
Hamilton class cutter
The Hamilton class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the National Security Cutter, aside from the Polar Ice Breakers. The hull classification symbol is prefixed WHEC...
.
Features
- Automated weapon systems
- Medium-caliber deck gun (57 mm)
- Helicopter launch and recovery pad with rail-based aircraft retrieval system and two aircraft hangars
- Stern boat well for small boat launch and recovery
- bow thrusterBow thrusterA bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat to make it more maneuverable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow the captain to turn the vessel to port or starboard without using the main propulsion mechanism which requires...
- State-of-the-art C4ISR improving interoperability between Coast Guard and DoD
- Detection and defense capabilities against chemical, biological, or radiological attack
- Advanced sensors for intelligence collection and sharing
- Real-time tracking and seamless Common Operational Picture/Maritime Domain Awareness via integration with Rescue 21Rescue 21Rescue 21 is an advanced maritime computing, command, control, and communications system designed to manage communications for the United States Coast Guard.-Overview:...
- Advanced state-of-the-art Ships Integrated Control System (Machinery Control, Steering, Navigation) for reduced manpower requirements and improved automation
- Cassidian (EADS) TRS-3D/16-ES Air Search Radar for area surveillance
Deepwater Controversy
The DeepwaterIntegrated Deepwater System Program
The Integrated Deepwater System Program is the 25-year program to replace all or much of the United States Coast Guard's equipment, including aircraft, ships, and logistics and command and control systems...
program was subjected to public scrutiny in late 2006 and early 2007 following reports of overspending and design flaws. Specifically, the issues with the Bertholf relate to the projected life of the ship. Originally the Coast Guard had expected the cutter to be a single-crew vessel, and spend a normal amount of time in port and underway. However, the US Coast Guard decided to implement a multi-crew system, similar but distinct to what the US Navy uses on its ballistic missile submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
s. Rather than the Navy's system of two crews sharing a single hull, the CG multi-crew concept involve both multiple crews and multiple hulls. The addition of the multi-crewing enables the ship to spend more time at sea each year, but also decreases the expected lifespan of the vessel from 30 years to 20 years.