Scrapped vessels haunt Coast Guard

The Washington Times ^ | 5-6-08 | Jen Haberkorn

[JZelle]

Eight ships that were supposed to be the government's latest, best weapon for stopping terrorists, illegal immigrants and smugglers now float unused in a U.S. Coast Guard shipyard in Baltimore, the symbol of a nearly $100 million taxpayer debacle.

Instead of patrolling, the ships were deemed unfit for the high seas after just a couple of months of use and eventually will be dismantled without ever fulfilling their promise.

The Coast Guard hopes to finally put the problems with its much maligned "Deepwater" program behind it, taking ownership this month of a brand new 418-foot national security cutter that was built from scratch after contractors bungled the modernization of the earlier eight ships.

Commissioning of the USCGC Bertholf will be the next major step in a 25-year, $24 billion project to extend the Coast Guard's reach further than ever before beyond U.S. shores. Taxpayers, however, won't see much benefit until the Bertholf is tested and cleared for duty over the next couple of years.

Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), the contracting group that is finishing testing of the $641 million Bertholf, insists the ship is performing well in sea trials and should be free of the problems that doomed the earlier vessels.

Inspectors found fewer problems with the Bertholf than is typical with a first-of-class ship, according to ICGS, which is made up of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.

Spokeswoman Megan Mitchell noted that the new cutter has a totally different design from the eight 123-foot cutters that developed cracks after their upgrades and are now tied up at the Coast Guard's Baltimore yard waiting to be dismantled.

[Centurion2000]

So sell them off to people that will USE them.

[river rat]

Are these vessels unsuited for ANY Coast Guard, Military or Police use in the interdiction of drugs, illegal aliens, poachers, smugglers or any other purpose other than in Deep/Heavy Seas?

Seems a stupid decision and awful waste...
If the vessels must be scrapped, new and unused — everyone involved in the decision to build them should also be scrapped. Without pension.

[Tallguy]

A friend of mine’s son was exec on one of those 110’s while they were undergoing refit in Baltimore. They did know pretty quick that the whole program was a failure & that the integrity of the vessels was compromised. 8 cutters that could have been of some use were essentially trashed.

[El Gato]

The Coast Guard hopes to finally put the problems with its much maligned "Deepwater" program behind it, taking ownership this month of a brand new 418-foot national security cutter that was built from scratch after contractors bungled the modernization of the earlier eight ships.

So will the Program Manager for the modernization find himself assigned to Pt. Barrow? Will the Contractor(s) be put on a "banned from competing on the next contract" list?

Don't hold your breath. Heck the latter is against the rules, unless what they did was commit some transgression, such as bribing the Contracting Officer, not related to their ability to successfully do what they are contracted to do.

[devane617]

I posted the original story about the eight ships last year. I remember the debate well....Glad to see the CG getting the equipment they need to do the job.

[El Gato]

That's alot of expensive junk.

Couldn't they use them in calmer waters, say the Gulf of Mexico. Or put 'em on a transporter, and use them in the Persian Gulf. Maybe transfer them to the fledgling Iraqi Navy?

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

China will be more than happy to add these to their scrap-metal stockpiles.