USCG Craft

The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the U.S. armed forces.

The white and red boats of the United States Coast Guard often can be seen carrying out missions off the nation's coasts. As the maritime law enforcement arm of the U.S. military, the Coast Guard has thousands of craft, which in nautical terminology means boats, ships or aircraft, at its disposal to carry out the agency's various missions.

The U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the five armed forces and operates under the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is involved in missions in U.S. coastal waters and abroad. Domestically, Coast Guard craft are used for a multitude of activities including search and rescue, border patrol, safety and environmental inspections, fishery conservation, immigration control, anti-drug trafficking operations, navigation aid and buoy maintenance. Internationally Coast Guard craft serve other branches of the U.S. military as escorts for supply transports, maritime security patrols and transport of supplies and aid. The U.S. Coast Guard has more than 38,000 active duty personnel and employs almost the same amount of non-enlisted auxiliary employees.

Cutters

U.S. Coast Guard cutters are vessels that are over 65 feet in length; the largest cutters reach up to 420 feet. Cutters are equipped with crew member accommodations on board. Larger cutters are used for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national defense missions and are among the most technically advanced of the whole Coast Guard fleet. The High Endurance Cutter is used in missions where helicopters must be deployed. Patrol cutters and fast response cutters are involved in drug and illegal immigration missions, fishery patrols and search and rescue. The Coast Guard's ice breaker cutters are among the largest of the fleet. Ice breakers are used on research expeditions and to provide supplies to remote facilities. The cutter fleet also includes construction and buoy tender vessels.

Boats

U.S. Coast Guard boats operate close to shore and in inland waters and are classified as craft less than 65 feet long. The larger 41-, 45- and 47-foot utility and response boats are used in virtually every type of mission. The boats can operate at fast speeds and in severe weather conditions with a high degree of maneuverability. The 36-foot Long Range Interceptors are used in counterdrug operations and in illegal immigration patrols. Many of the smaller boats, ranging all the way down to 12 feet, are inflatable rigid hull boats used as quick response boats to aid larger cutters in law enforcement operations and as first response surf rescue boats. The inland water boats include tugboats, barge boats and other smaller boats used as navigation aids.

Aircraft

U.S. Coast Guard aircraft are utilized in search and rescue missions, environmental response, law enforcement missions and in military air campaigns. The Hercules and Super Hercules series of aircraft are large, fixed wing transport aircraft used to haul cargo and passengers, to air drop life rafts and anti-oil chemicals, and for other missions. The Ocean Sentry and Guardian are fixed wing aircraft used in surveillance operations to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The aircraft are also used in search and rescue missions and to drop equipment. The Coast Guard helicopters, the Jayhawk and Dolphin, are engaged in search and rescue and law enforcement operations. The Dolphin is capable of carrying out operations at night and all weather conditions except ice. The Coast Guard also has a Gulfstream jet for long distance flights and a Bombardier Challenger for mid-range flights to transport high command officers.

References

• The Free Dictionary: Craft Definition
• U.S Coast Guard: Aircraft, Boats and Cutters