Watercraft

Cutters

Originally, the Coast Guard used the term cutter in its traditional sense, as a type of small sailing ship. Today it officially uses the term for any vessel which has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew, and includes any and all vessels of 65-foot (20 m) or more in length.^[1]

Larger cutters (over 181 feet (55 m) in length) are controlled by Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). Smaller cutters come under control of district commands. Cutters usually carry a motor surf boat and/or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. Polar-class icebreakers (WAGB) carry an Arctic survey boat (ASB) and landing craft.

Any Coast Guard crew with officers or petty officers assigned has law-enforcement authority (14 USC Sec. 89) and can conduct armed boardings.

The Coast Guard operates 243 Cutters,^[2] defined as any vessel more than 65 feet (20 m) long, that has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew.^[3]

Name or Class	Image	Quantity	Length	Armament	Notes
Polar-class 2		0	460'	2 × Mk 44 30 mm autocannon 6 × crew-served .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine guns[4]	Building 2, 3 total on order. The Polar Security Cutter Program is to replace the Polar-class. To enter service in 2025.
Healy-class		1	420'	Various small arms	Medium class icebreaker used for icebreaking and research. Entered service in 2000.[5]
Legend-class		9	418'	1 × MK 110 57mm gun a variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System 1 × 20 mm Block 1B Baseline 2 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System 4 × crew-served .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine guns 2 × crew-served M240B 7.62 mm machine guns Various small arms	9 Active; Building 2; Option for 12th.[6] Designated to replace the Hamilton-class. Entered Service in 2008.
Polar-class		1	399'	Various small arms	USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is only active heavy icebreaker. Entered service in 1976.[7][8][9] USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is located in Seattle, Washington but is not currently in active service.
Heritage-class		0	360'	1 x MK 110 57 mm gun a variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System 1 x BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 3 25 mm gun with 7.62 mm co-axial gun 2 x M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted on a MK 50 Stabilized Small Arms Mount (SSAM) 4 x crew-served M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns Various small arms	3 under construction; 12 ordered or optioned; 25 total planned.[10] Designated to replace the Famous-class and Reliance-class. To enter service in 2025.[11]
USCGC Eagle		1	295'	None	USCGC Eagle (WIX-327): Eagle is home ported at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. It is used for training voyages for Coast Guard Academy cadets and Coast Guard officer candidates. USCGC Eagle was built in Germany as the Horst Wessel, and was taken by the United States as a war reparation in 1945.
USCGC Alex Haley		1	283'	2 × Mk 38 Mod 1 25 mm gun 2 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) guns Various small arms	Entered service in 1971 as USS Edenton.
Famous-class		13	270'	1 × OTO Melara Mark 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun 2 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns Various small arms	Entered service in 1983.
USCGC Mackinaw		1	240'	2 × crew-served M240B 7.62 mm machine guns Various small arms	Mackinaw is a 240-foot (73 m) heavy icebreaker built for operations on the North American Great Lakes and home ported at Cheboygan, Michigan. Entered Service in 2006.
Juniper-class		16	225'	2 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns Various small arms	Entered service in 1996.
Reliance-class		14	210'	1 ×Mk 38 Mod 1 25 mm gun 2 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns Various small arms	Entered service in 1964.
Keeper-class		14	175'	None	Entered service in 1997.
160-foot-class Inland construction Tender		4	160'	None	Entered service in 1976.
Sentinel-class		40	154'	1 × Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm autocannon 4 × crew-served Browning M2 machine guns	64 planned. Designated to replace Island-class. Entered service in 2012.
Bay-class		9	140'	2 × M240 machine guns	10 planned. Entered service in 1979.
Island-class		49	110'	Mk 38 Mod 1 25 mm chain gun 2 × M2 .50-cal MG	(WPB): Eight additional 110-foot patrol boats were extended to 123 feet (37 m) but structural issues developed shortly after these conversions and the cutters were deemed unsafe to operate.[12] Entered service in 1985.
100-foot Class Inland Buoy Tenders		2	100'	None	Entered service in 1945.
100-foot-class Inland Construction Tender		3	100'	None	Entered service in 1944.
Marine Protector-class		67	87'	2 × .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns	Entered service in 1998. Sea PROTECTOR MK50 GWS Carried on four Marine Protector Class Cutters.
Kankakee-class		2	75'	None	Entered service in 1990.
Gasconade-Class		9	75'	Various small arms	Entered Service in 1964
75' inland construction tender		9	75'	None	Entered service in 1962
65' river buoy tender		2	65'	None
65' inland buoy tender		2	65'	None	Entered service in 1954
Small Harbor Tug		11	65'	None	(WYTL): This is a class of eleven 65-foot tugs used by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, aids-to-navigation work and light icebreaking. Entered service in 1961.

Boats

The Coast Guard operates about 1,402 boats, defined as any vessel less than 65 feet (20 meters) in length, which generally operate near shore and on inland waterways. The most common is 25 feet (7.6 m) long, of which the Guard has more than 350;^[13] the shortest is 13 feet (4.0 m).

378-foot High Endurance Cutter (WHEC) USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), commissioned in 1967 (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

The Coast Guard boat fleet includes

Name	Image	Length	Notes
64-ft Aids to Navigation Boat		64'
64-ft Screening Vessel		64'
55-ft Aids to Navigation Boat		55'
52-ft Motor Life Boat		52'	The Coast Guard currently has four of the 52-foot motor life boats, a craft designed from the ground up to serve in challenging surf conditions. All four craft are currently assigned to surf stations in the Pacific Northwest. Also known as "Special Purpose Craft - Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX)"
Buoy Utility Stern Loading		49'
47-ft Motor Life Boat		47'	The Coast Guard's 47-foot primary heavy-weather boat used for search and rescue as well as law enforcement and homeland security.[14]
Response Boat Medium		45'	The Coast Guard has signed a multi-year contract for 180 Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) boats that were delivered starting in 2008 to replace the 41′ UTB boats. These aluminum boats are 45 feet (14 m) in length, with twin diesel engines (total 825 hp), are self-righting, have a four crew, six passenger capacity, are equippable with two .50 caliber machine guns, have an excellent fendering system, can achieve a top speed of 42 knots (78 km/h), and are capable of towing a 100-ton vessel in eight-foot seas. The boats were built by Kvichak Marine Industries of Kent, Washington and Marinette Marine of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[15][16]
Near-Shore Life Boat		42'
39-ft Tactical Training Boat		39'
38-ft Training Boat		38'
Arctic Survey Boat		38'	Only one of these vessels is used by the Coast Guard. It is kept on the USCGC Healy and is used for arctic studies.
36-ft Boarding Team Delivery		36'
Long-Range Interceptor		36'	An 11-meter (36-foot) high-speed launch that can be launched from the rear ramps of the National Security Cutters.[17]
33-ft Law Enforcement		33'
Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat		29'
Response Boat- Small II		29'	A 29-foot replacement for the Defender Class, built by Metal Shark Boats.
Cutterboat- Over the Horizon		25'
Transportable Security Boat		25'	25-foot (7.6 m) boat, based on the commercial version of the 25-foot (8 m) center-console Boston Whaler, suitable for work in inland waters, easily transportable by trailer. These are primarily used by Port Security Units for force protection in naval support areas abroad, as well as, ports of embarkation/debarkation in expeditionary areas. Most recently these boats and units were deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The durability, versatility, and mobility of these boats make them ideal for this type of operation.[18]
Response Boat- Small		25'	A high-speed boat, for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, port security and law enforcement duties. The original 25-foot boats built by SAFE Boats International (Secure All-around Flotation Equipped) of Port Orchard, Washington are being replaced by 29-foot boats built by Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, LA.[19][20]
24-ft Shallow Water		24'
24-ft Cutterboat - Aids to Navigation - Large		23'
Cutterboat- Large		24'-19'
22-ft Airboat		22'
20-ft Aids to Navigation Boat - Small		21'
20-ft Airboat		20'
18-ft Cutterboat - Aids to Navigation - Medium		18'
18-ft Airboat		18'
Cutterboat- Medium		17'
16-ft Aids to Navigation Boat – Skiff		16'
Cutterboat- Small		13'

USCG Auxiliary

• Auxiliary Operational Facilities: The Coast Guard surface fleet is augmented by privately owned vessels operated by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Aircraft

A USCG HC-130 Hercules near Oahu

The Coast Guard operates about 210 aircraft. Fixed-wing aircraft (such as Lockheed HC-130 Hercules turboprops) operate from Air Stations on long-duration missions. Helicopters (Aérospatiale HH-65 Dolphin and Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk) operate from Air Stations, Air Facilities, and flight-deck equipped cutters, and can rescue people or intercept smuggling vessels. Some special MH- designated helicopters are armed with guns and some are equipped with armor to protect against small arms fire.

The Coast Guard flies several aircraft types:

Name	Image	Quantity	Notes
Lockheed HC-130 Hercules		27
HC-27J Spartan		11	[21][22] Out of 14 on order.
CASA HC-144A Ocean Sentry		18	[23][24][25]
Gulfstream C-37A		2	Aircraft as a VIP transport for high-ranking Coast Guard and Homeland Security officials.[26]
Airbus MH-65 Dolphin		102
Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk		42	[27]
RG-8A Condors		unspecified number
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle		unspecified number	[28]

HC-144A Ocean Sentry (CASA CN-235-300 MP Persuader).

The Coast Guard was to purchase the Bell Eagle Eye UAV as part of the Deepwater program, but this has been cancelled.^[29] The Coast Guard is currently preparing to launch a small UAS competition for the Legend-class NSC and future Heritage-class cutter.^[30]

In addition to regular Coast Guard aircraft, privately owned general aviation aircraft are used by Coast Guard Auxiliarists for patrols and search-and-rescue missions.

D9 airboat crews deploy for Hurricane Sandy

Land vehicles

Name	Image	Origin	Quantity	Notes
MWV
HMMWV		United States	limited unspecified number	[31]
LSSV		United States	unspecified number	[citation needed]

Electronic Warfare Systems

• Sea Commander Aegis derived combat system
• SCCS-Lite combat data system
• AN/SLQ-32B(V)2 Electronic Warfare System
• L-3 C4ISR suite
• AN/SPS-78 surface search and navigation radar
• AN/SPS-50 surface search radar
• AN/APX-123(V)1 IFF (ship automation provided by MTU Callosum)

Shipboard Weapon Systems

Name	Image	Notes
M153 CROWS II		Sea PROTECTOR MK50 GWS
Mk 38 25mm autocannon		Mod 1, Mod 2 and Mod 3
Mk 44 30mm autocannon		[1]
Phalanx CIWS		20 mm Block 1B Baseline 2
Bofors 57 mm gun		MK 110. A variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System
OTO Melara Mark 75		76 mm/62 caliber naval gun

Decoys and Countermeasures

Name	Image	Notes
Mark 36 SRBOC		chaff countermeasures
Nulka		MK 53 Mod 10

Weapons

Model	Image	Caliber	Type	Origin	Details
Pistols
M9		9mm	Pistol	Italy	Limited service
P229R-DAK		.40 S&W	Pistol	Germany	Standard service pistol
Glock 19		9mm	Pistol	Austria	Standard service pistol. Replacing the Sig P229R-DAK [32]
Assault Rifles
M16A2		5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle	United States	Limited service
M4		5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle, Carbine	United States	Standard issue service rifle. The Deployable Operations Group also employs the Mk 18 upper receiver[33]
MK18/CQBR		5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle, Carbine	United States	Standard issue service carbine. The Maritime Security Response Team also employs them
Shotguns
M870P		12-gauge	Shotgun	United States
Saiga-12		12-gauge	Shotgun	Russia	The Deployable Operations Group employs them
Machine Guns
M240		7.62×51mm NATO	General purpose, medium machine gun	United States	M240B variant is employed aboard surface vessels while the M240H is used aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk and MH-65 Dolphin helicopters. The M240 is also used on land by Port Security units[34]
M60		7.62×51mm NATO	General purpose, medium machine gun	United States	Used on various boats such as the Defender-class boat[35]
Browning M2HB		.50 BMG	Heavy machine gun	United States	Primarily mounted on seagoing vessels. Some machine guns are used on land by Port Security Units[36]
Precision Rifles, Designated Marksman Rifles & Sniper Rifles.
MK14 EBR		7.62×51mm NATO	Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle	United States	Variant known as the M14 Tactical fitted with the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle stock, with a 22-inch barrel and a Smith Enterprise muzzle brake.
Mk 11		7.62×51mm NATO	Designated marksman rifle, Sniper rifle	United States	Used by the Deployable Operations Group[33]
Barrett 50 cal/M82/M107		.50 BMG	Anti materiel sniper rifle	United States	Used for Airborne Use of Force (AUF) missions
Robar RC-50		.50 BMG	Anti materiel sniper rifle	United States
Grenade-Based Weapons
M203		40mm	Grenade launcher	United States	Single-shot underbarrel grenade launcher[37]
Mk 19		40mm	Automatic grenade launcher	United States	Belt-fed
MK3 grenade			Concussion Grenade	United States	Used as an anti-swimmer grenade. Being phased out and being replaced by a newer Anti-Swimmer Grenade.[38]

Communications

Rescue 21 Logo.

Coast Guard radio stations cover a wide geographical area using very high frequency and high frequency radios. There are eight major radio stations covering long-range transmissions and an extensive network of VHF radio stations along the nation's coastline and inland rivers.

The current communication system is the Rescue 21. Rescue 21 is an advanced maritime command, control, and communications (C3) system.

The OMEGA navigation system and the LORAN-C transmitters outside the USA were run until 1994 also by the United States Coast Guard, and LORAN-C transmitters within the US were decommissioned on June 1, 2010, with the exception of 5 CONUS LORAN-C stations that continue to be staffed due to international agreements.