US Coast Guard: ensuring the protection of maritime borders, coastal sea lanes and approaches to ports

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

The romantic image of the US Coast Guard can be seen in many American films: either they catch drug dealers, or they rescue the unfortunate seafarers who have crashed. However, for more than two centuries, this service has been involved in many other things: from landing operations to ensuring safe navigation and protecting fisheries.

About the Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is engaged in ensuring the implementation of federal legislation, the safety of coastal shipping on the high seas and inland waters, border protection and control over compliance with entry into the country's territorial waters. The service is subordinate to the Department of Homeland Security, and in wartime comes under the command of the Department of Defense. All individuals in the United States Defense Forces are members of the armed forces and wear the uniform of the United States Coast Guard. The motto of the Coast Guard is almost pioneering: "Always ready." The number is about 42.4 thousand people in active service, andtogether with auxiliary and civil servants - 87.5 thousand. To carry out its tasks, there is a large fleet of 243 coastal and ocean patrol ships, tugs and icebreakers, 1650 small vessels and boats. Air support is provided by 200 helicopters and aircraft. Although this service is the smallest in comparison with other branches of the armed forces of the country, the US Coast Guard itself ranks as the 12th largest navy in the world.

A bit of history

The US Coast Guard began its existence on August 4, 1790, when the Customs Court Service was organized, this is the oldest maritime service in the country. At the initiative of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, the service was established by the US Congress to inspect ships and collect customs duties in American ports. At the same time, this service received the unofficial name "First Fleet", as the only protection of the sea coast and trade. Then the fleet consisted of ten ships. The modern US Coast Guard was formed in 1915 by a merger with the US Life Saving Service, and then was under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department. Coast Guard units, as one of the five branches of the country's armed forces, have participated in all US wars. During World War II, units of the Coast Guard participated in amphibious operations in the Pacific Islands, during the Vietnam War they conducted maritime patrols and shelled coastal fortifications. During the Iraq War, they were responsible for the security of the coastal zone and the blockade of the seacoastline.

Missions

The US Coast Guard performs a wide range of civilian and military duties. US Navy ships carry out missions to ensure freedom of navigation, including in the Arctic, provide economic protection of marine resources, and protect the marine environment. As a maritime law enforcement agency, the service is responsible for maritime security, the suppression of illegal migration, and the fight against drug trafficking. The military component consists in the defense of the country's coastal regions, ports and sea routes. As a rescue service, the US Coast Guard organizes, coordinates and leads search and rescue operations and provides assistance in navigation.

Structure and work in peacetime

The US Coast Guard is led by a commandant with the rank of admiral, who reports to the vice commandant, chief of staff and commanders of the Pacific and Atlantic zones. The two zones, in turn, are divided into sea areas, which are directly responsible for search and rescue operations. The commanders of the sea areas direct the actions of the fleet and aviation of the coast guard, as well as search and rescue stations and other units that are located in this sector. In peacetime, maritime areas are engaged in ensuring the protection of the maritime border, search and rescue operations, develop plans and conduct tactical exercises for the defense of maritime facilities and the coast. To provide assistance at sea, there are 800 rescue stations on the west and east coasts of the United States. The US Coast Guard operates the National Response Centeron oil, chemical, radiological and biological spills into the environment anywhere in the United States. The Center collects and disseminates information on such man-made disasters and coordinates operations to eliminate them.

Under martial law

The Coast Guard is a structure that is in constant combat readiness. In the case of wartime, sea areas are converted to sea defense areas. Aircraft and ships of the US Coast Guard are involved in patrolling the coastal 200-mile zone. Coast Guard forces are conducting reconnaissance of the operational situation, the search for submarines. The protection of infrastructure facilities of ports, coastal sea and other communications is being strengthened. US Coast Guard boats are also involved in patrolling and detecting possible attacks by saboteurs or terrorists. The command and control system should ensure the collection of intelligence information, processing, preparation of operational decisions and their transfer to subunits. Coast Guard units can participate in land combat operations in establishing control over the sea coast, defense and security of ports and harbors.

Other work

In addition to military and law enforcement functions, protecting economic interests, the US Coast Guard provides radio navigational assistance to maritime shipping, maintains lighthouses and navigation buoys. The service is responsible for monitoring and ensuring the safe and correctoperation of private boats, boats, yachts, fishing licensing. Also, the agency is responsible for the safety of ships and their crews, the level of qualifications of seafarers. Icebreaking ships of the US Defense Forces are to provide ice passage for federal and scientific expeditions in the open seas and inland waters.

Arctic Issues

In recent years, the country's officials and media resources have begun to worry that the United States has lagged behind Russia in the development of the Arctic. Russia currently has 40 icebreakers and is actively building new next-generation icebreakers. The United States has from one to three ships in working order, depending on who counts. Nevertheless, the US Coast Guard requires Russia to use the Northern Sea Route for general use, offering to make a free transport corridor. This statement was made by the head of the service, Admiral Paul Zukunft, in March 2018. In addition, the head of the US Coast Guard noted that no measures are planned to protect the freedom of navigation on the Northern Sea Route. Only the admiral forgot that the Northern Sea Route passes through the territorial waters of Russia and, with climate warming, is becoming increasingly strategic.