Iranian Warships In the Persian Gulf Swarmed and Harassed Two US Coast Guard Ships for Hours in Early April
Over the weekend the US Navy reported that Iran warships had harassed US Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf for hours in early April. This all happened while Obama/Biden were again working on a ‘deal’ with Iran. It came out this week that failed Presidential candidate, Democrat John Kerry, fed the Iranians information about Israel’s covert operations in Syria.
I'm kinda wondering why US Coast Guard ships are in the Persian Gulf.
My understanding is the US Coast Guard is supposed to, like, you know, guard the coast of the US.
“Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. ... In July 2003 PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.“
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“USCGC Monomoy Unit Patch (PATFORSWA) Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. The command's mission is to train, equip, deploy and support combat-ready Coast Guard forces conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in the Naval Forces Central Command's area of responsibility.[1][2][3] It was commissioned as a permanent duty station in June 2004.[4] In July 2003 PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.[5]“
Well, son of a bitch.
That's a bunch of malarkey in the endless war machine.
“The Navy likes to use the Coast Guard’s small patrol boats (110s/87s) in confined littoral areas as the coasties have them while the Navy simply doesn’t. After all, why risk a $1 billion destroyer with a 300-man crew when the USCG has an $8 million patrol boat with a 22-man crew that can get in closer and already has hundreds of (often high-risk) boardings under their belt before they rotate into the Gulf.
180201-N-TB177-0211 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Feb. 1, 2018) Island-class patrol boats USCGC Wrangell left, USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309), middle, and coastal patrol ship USS Firebolt (PC 10) patrol the open seas. Wrangell, Aquidneck, and Firebolt are forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin J. Steinberg/Released) They did the same thing in Vietnam when some 26 82-foot Point-class cutters served as an assembled Patrol Squadron off the South Vietnamese coast from 1965 to 1970.
Since 2002, the Coast Guard has forward deployed six of their WPBs to Manama, Bahrain to serve in the Persian Gulf littoral. After all these boats can stay at sea for a week at a time, have a cutter boat, a decent surface search radar, can make 29-knots, and float in just 7 feet of seawater– which the Big Blue has a hard time pulling off. The force is very active, typically having 3-4 patrol boats underway in the Gulf at any given time looking for pirates, smugglers, terrorists out to pull off another USS Cole-style attack, and, well, the Iranians.“
The USCG Patrol Boat class is armed with 2 50 caliber machine guns
The article you linked says clearly, the purpose of the USCG in the Persian gulf is to virtue signal. Their white hulls and red stripe are non-threatening. The 50 cals are stored below decks. They were designed in the early 80’s. Old technology. Worked great in Deception pass on Saturday as a platform to launch an inflatable with the five 18-20 year old coasties to use for boarding practice of recreational fishing boats. But as a modern patrol craft in a war zone? Gtfoh with that shit. Good only for use as a surrender platform.
This is the patrol boat they should be using over there.
The 50 cal may be stored below,. But they can be deployed quickly. My cousin got to man one when he escorted subs back into their bass in frigid Connecticut in the winter brrrrrrr.
As to why thery are there.. They were in Nam too... they do great work in the shallow water and if need be call in the big navy...
Like when the Iranians took our actual Navy patrol boat? Remember when we called in the big navy? Me either. They are just virtue signaling surrender vessels.
Comments
My understanding is the US Coast Guard is supposed to, like, you know, guard the coast of the US.
“Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. ... In July 2003 PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.“
That's a bunch of malarkey in the endless war machine.
Seems smart.
https://laststandonzombieisland.com/tag/uscgc-monomoy/
“The Navy likes to use the Coast Guard’s small patrol boats (110s/87s) in confined littoral areas as the coasties have them while the Navy simply doesn’t. After all, why risk a $1 billion destroyer with a 300-man crew when the USCG has an $8 million patrol boat with a 22-man crew that can get in closer and already has hundreds of (often high-risk) boardings under their belt before they rotate into the Gulf.
180201-N-TB177-0211 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Feb. 1, 2018) Island-class patrol boats USCGC Wrangell left, USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309), middle, and coastal patrol ship USS Firebolt (PC 10) patrol the open seas. Wrangell, Aquidneck, and Firebolt are forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin J. Steinberg/Released)
They did the same thing in Vietnam when some 26 82-foot Point-class cutters served as an assembled Patrol Squadron off the South Vietnamese coast from 1965 to 1970.
Since 2002, the Coast Guard has forward deployed six of their WPBs to Manama, Bahrain to serve in the Persian Gulf littoral. After all these boats can stay at sea for a week at a time, have a cutter boat, a decent surface search radar, can make 29-knots, and float in just 7 feet of seawater– which the Big Blue has a hard time pulling off. The force is very active, typically having 3-4 patrol boats underway in the Gulf at any given time looking for pirates, smugglers, terrorists out to pull off another USS Cole-style attack, and, well, the Iranians.“
Yeah but that was mostly because Crockett and Tubbs only carried revolvers.
This is the patrol boat they should be using over there.
They were in Nam too... they do great work in the shallow water and if need be call in the big navy...