USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
History
United States
BuilderAmerican Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Laid down2 May 1966
Launched24 June 1967
Commissioned7 October 1968
Refit31 January 1994
HomeportAstoria, Oregon
Identification
Nickname(s)"El Tiburón Blanco"
StatusActive
General characteristics
Displacement759 tons
Length210 ft 6 in (64.16 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Draft10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) max
Propulsion2 x V16 2550 horsepower ALCO 251B diesel engines
Speedmax 18 knots; 2,700 mile range
Rangecruise 14 knots; 6,100 mile range
Complement12 officers, 63 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems		2 x AN/SPS-64
Armament
Aircraft carriedHH-65 Dolphin

USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter and has served the United States for over 50 years. Commissioned in 1968, Steadfast was home ported in St. Petersburg, Florida for her first 24 years of service. In 1992, she was decommissioned for Major Maintenance Availability (MMA) to extend her service another 25 years. Following MMA in February 1994, Steadfast was re-commissioned and home ported in Astoria, Oregon.

Since commissioning in 1968, Steadfast has completed over 330 Search and Rescue cases, interdicted over 1.6 million pounds of marijuana and 27,700 pounds of cocaine, seized over 65 vessels, and stopped over 3500 undocumented migrants on the high seas from entering the United States. Steadfast was the first, and is one of only two cutters awarded the gold marijuana leaf, symbolizing one million pounds of marijuana seized. Legend holds Steadfast was named "El Tiburón Blanco" (Spanish for "The White Shark") by Colombian drug smugglers in the 1970s for being such a nemesis to their illegal drug operations. Steadfast's crew uses the symbol of "El Tiburón Blanco" as one of their logos to epitomize Steadfast's aggressive law enforcement posture.[1]

On 21 September 1978, Douglas DC-3 N407D of Argosy Airlines crashed into the Caribbean Sea whilst on a ferry flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to José Martí International Airport, Havana. All four people on board were killed.[2] The aircraft disappeared off radar screens at 12:43 local time (17:43 UTC). A search was initiated, which Steadfast coordinated, but was called off on 24 September without any trace of N407D being found.[3]

USCGC Steadfast is scheduled to be decommissioned in March 2024 after 56 years of service.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "United States Coast Guard > Our Organization > Area Cutters > CGC Steadfast > History". United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Defense Media Activity. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  2. ↑ "N407D Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  3. ↑ "Into the Blue". Bermuda Triangle. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast returns home after final patrol of Coast Guard service" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Defense Media Activity. U.S. Department of Defense. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.