The Island-class patrol boat is a class of cutters of the United States Coast Guard. 49 cutters of the class were built, of which 37 remain in commission. Their hull numbers are WPB-1301 through WPB-1349.[3]

Contents

1 Overview

2 Conversion problems

3 Transfers to foreign operators

4 Operators

5 Dispositions

6 Gallery

7 See also

8 References

9 External links

Overview

The 110 ft (34 m) Island-class patrol boats are a U.S. Coast Guard modification of a highly successful British-designed Vosper Thornycroft patrol boat built for Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.[2] With excellent range and seakeeping capabilities, the Island class, all named after U.S. islands, replaced the older 95 ft (29 m) Cape-class cutters. These cutters are equipped with advanced electronics and navigation equipment and are used in support of the Coast Guard's maritime homeland security, migrant interdiction, drug interdiction, defense operations, fisheries Enforcement, and search and rescue missions. The 58 ordered Sentinel-class cutters, selected under the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) program, are slated to replace the Island class. Six Island class cutters are currently stationed in Manama, Bahrain as a part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia to provide the Navy's Fifth Fleet with combat ready assets.[4] The cutters have 10 tons worth of space and weight reservations for additional weapons.[5]

Conversion problems

As built, these vessels were all 110 feet (34 m) in length. In 2002 as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program, the Coast Guard began refitting some of these vessels, adding 13 feet (4.0 m) to the stern to make room for a high-speed stern launching ramp, and replacing the superstructure so that these vessels had enough room to accommodate mixed-gender crews. The refit added about 15 tons to the vessel's displacement, and reduced its maximum speed by approximately one knot. The eight cutters[6] modified were;

USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303)

USCGC Attu (WPB-1317)

USCGC Metompkin (WPB-1325)

USCGC Padre (WPB-1328)

USCGC Manitou (WPB-1302)

USCGC Monhegan (WPB-1305)

USCGC Nunivak (WPB-1306)

USCGC Vashon (WPB-1308)

In 2005, then-Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas H. Collins made the decision to stop the contractor's conversion at eight hulls when sea trials revealed intractable structural flaws.[7][8]

In August 2006, a Lockheed Martin engineer went public with allegations that the company and the Coast Guard were ignoring serious security flaws in the refitting project, and that they were likely to repeat the same mistakes on similar projects. The flaws included blind spots in watch cameras, FLIR equipment not suitable for operating under extreme temperatures, and the use of non-shielded cables in secure communications systems, a violation of TEMPEST standards.[9]

In late November 2006 all eight of the 123 ft (37 m) WPBs were taken out of service due to debilitating problems with their lengthened hulls – all eight hulls were cracking when driven at high speed in heavy seas. These as well as other issues – such as C4ISR problems – drove the program $60 million over budget, triple the original bid for the eight boats converted. The 41 unmodified 110's are now being pressed harder to take up the slack.[10] The eight modified were moved to the United States Coast Guard Yard and moored in Arundel Cove.[11]

Transfers to foreign operators

Unloading of P191 "Starobilsk" of Ukrainian Navy

The U.S. Coast Guard has transferred several ships to foreign navies and coast guards via the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's Office of International Acquisition’s Excess Defense Articles Program (EDA).[12]

Operators

United States Coast Guard

Georgian Coast Guard – two ships via EDA in September 2016[13]

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency – two ships via EDA in 2016[14]

Costa Rican Coast Guard – two ships via EDA in 2017[14][15]

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – purchased former USCGC Block Island and Pea Island, June 2015,[16] and Bainbridge Island, November 2017.[17]

Ukrainian Navy – two acquired from the USCG[18]

Dispositions

disposition of Island class cutters

image name commissioned decommissioned notes

USCGC Farallon (WPB 1301).jpg Farallon (WPB-1301)

Manitou (WPB-1302)

Matagordawpb.jpg Matagorda (WPB-1303)

USCGC Maui (WPB-1304) with MH-60S of HSC-26 off Bahrain in December 2014.JPG Maui (WPB-1304)

Monhegan (WPB-1305)

Nunivak (WPB-1306)

USCG Okracoke, Guantanamo.jpg Ocracoke (WPB-1307)

Vashon (WPB-1308)

USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309).jpg Aquidneck (WPB-1309)

USCGC Mustang (WPB-1310).jpg Mustang (WPB-1310)

2009 Photo Contest - Second Place (4320540278).jpg Naushon (WPB-1311)

US Navy 050804-C-2023P-569 Patrol Boat from Woods Hole, Mass., patrols the Portland Harbor as part of security measures for Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff's visit.jpg Sanibel (WPB-1312)

Engine swap 121203-G-JY570-018.jpg Edisto (WPB-1313)

USCGC Sapelo moored next to a cruise liner in San Juan.jpg Sapelo (WPB-1314)

Mantinicus (WPB-1315)

Coast-Guard-Cutter-Nantucket-WPB-1316.jpg Nantucket (WPB-1316)

Attu (WPB-1317)

USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) -- COMBAT CAMERA 140221-N-QP268-491.jpg Baranof (WPB-1318)

United States Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur.jpg Chandeleur (WPB-1319)

US Coast Guard Cutter Chincoteague (WPB-1320) passes Fort San Felipe del Morro.jpg Chincoteague (WPB-1320)

USCGC Cushing (WPB-1321) on Potomac River 03 Nov 2015.jpg Cushing (WPB-1321) transferred to Ukraine, renamed P190 Sloviansk

US Navy 030807-N-6477M-213 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CuttyHunk (WPB 1322) escorts the Ohio-class strategic missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) through the strait of Juan De Fuca.jpg Cuttyhunk (WPB-1322)

P191 Starobilsk.jpg Drummond (WPB-1323) transferred to Ukraine, renamed P191 Starobilsk

Key Largo (WPB-1324)

Metompkin (WPB-1325)

US Navy 040809-G-1034C-216 The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy (WPB 1326) is off-loaded as part of a six-boat force representing the Coast Guard operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf.jpg Monomoy (WPB-1326) 19 May 1989

San Francisco USCGC Orcas (WPB-1327)1.jpg Orcas (WPB-1327)

USCGC Padre Island (WPB 1328) - 1999-11-30.jpg Padre (WPB-1328)

USCGC Sitanak with refugees -a.jpg Sitkanak Island (WPB-1329)

Tybee (WPB-1330)

USCGC Washington (WPB-1331).JPG Washington (WPB-1331)

USCGC Wrangell (WPB-1332) underway in the Arabian Sea on 7 February 2018 (180207-N-TB177-0417).JPG Wrangell (WPB-1332)

Liberty22.jpg Adak (WPB-1333)

USCGC Liberty Island (WPB-1334).jpg Liberty (WPB-1334)

USCGC Anacapa (WPB-1335).jpg Anacapa (WPB-1335)

RIMPAC 2000 DVIDS1081891.jpg Kiska (WPB-1336)

USCGC Assateague.jpg Assateague (WPB-1337)

USCGC Grand Isle (WPB-1338), off Crete.jpg Grand Isle (WPB-1338) transferred to Pakistan

USCG boat carries refugees between cutters.jpg Key Biscayne (WPB-1339) transferred to Pakistan

Jefferson Island (WPB-1340) transferred to Georgia

USCGC Kodiak Island.jpg Kodiak Island (WPB-1341)

United States Coast Guard Cutter Long Island (WPB 1342).jpg Long Island (WPB-1342) transferred to Costa Rica, renamed Juan Rafael Mora Porras

US Navy 030828-C-5313L-543 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bainbridge Island (WPB 1343), home ported in Sandy Hook, NJ., stands watch over the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.jpg Bainbridge Island (WPB-1343) purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MV Sharpie

WPB 1344, USCG Block Island, an Island Class 110 foot cutter, and USCG helicopter.jpg Block Island (WPB-1344) purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Jules Verne

USCGC Staten Island leaves Washington DC -a.jpg Staten Island (WPB-1345) transferred to Georgia

Coast Guard Cutter Roanoke Island (WPB 1346) slices through the waters of Prince William Sound at full speed.jpg Roanoke Island (WPB-1346) transferred to Costa Rica, renamed Gen. Jose M. Canas Escamilla

Pea Island (WPB-1347) purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Farley Mowat

USCGC Knight island.jpg Knight Island (WPB-1348)

USCGC Galveston Island - 170214-G-CA140-1001.jpg Galveston Island (WPB-1349)