USCG’s Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters – Not Fast Enough?

CGC Sanibel

The USCG wants to buy 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRC), and these Sentinel Class boats are sorely needed by an overstretched US Coast Guard. An attempt to extend the lives of their aged Island Class cutters ended as an expensive failure in 2005, and string of blunders has delayed replacements. In February 2006, the Coast Guard’s Deepwater system-of-systems program ‘temporarily’ suspended design work on the FRC-A program due to technical risk. FRC-A was eventually canceled in favor of an off-the-shelf buy (FRC-B), and on March 14/07, the ICGS contractor consortium lost responsibility for the Deepwater FRC-B program as well. By then, even an off-the-shelf buy couldn’t get the Coast Guard any delivered replacements before April 2012.

When the Island Class refurbishment program was terminated in June 2005, 41 Island Class vessels like the USCGC Sanibel, above, still plied US and international waters. DID discusses the programs, their outcomes and controversies, the fate of the Island Class and FRC-A programs, and the work underway to replace them. The Island Class’ safe lifetime is running out fast, but by the end of 2013 FRC Sentinel Class deliveries were set to ramp up to full production pace. Will that be fast enough?

L115A3: The UK’s Sniper System Improvement Program

L115A3 .338

Faced with an enemy that has no compunctions about committing war crimes by using human shields, allied armies are discovering that snipers are a critical battlefield asset. Afghanistan is an excellent sniper spot for other reasons as well, including its long stretches of rocky, dusty terrain with very little cover. It’s no coincidence that US Soldiers from Task Force Fury in Afghanistan became the first unit in a combat zone to receive the USA’s new XM110 7.62mm semi-automatic sniper rifle. Larger ‘Big Mac’ .50 cal/ 12.7mm sniper rifles have also been used to considerable effect by Canadian Forces, including the longest deliberate sniper kill in history (2473 meters/ 2705 yards), during the battle of Tora Bora (Operation Anaconda).

Now Britain’s broader GBP 11 million (about $22.6 million) Sniper System Improvement program aims to give UK snipers more power, precision and stealth than ever before. It will include all-weather new advanced day and night sights for all-hours, all-conditions effectiveness; laser technology for accurate range finding and location to distant targets, and a new gun…

Northern European States Get Closer to NATO

• Reuters: As Russia growls, Swedes, Finns eye defence options, NATO.

• The Lithuania Tribune: NATO preps for military exercises in Baltic airspace.

• The US Defense Logistics Agency delivered ready-to-eat meals to Ukraine, as ordered by an Administration which is apparently ignoring the poor optics (already lampooned by The Onion) of such token actions in response to Russia’s belligerence. Yesterday Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin was openly mocking on Twitter NATO’s decision to freeze cooperation with Russia.

• Decreasing Ukrainian and European reliance on Russian gas will be much more effective, but this will take years.