Island-class patrol boat
Template:Short description Template:About
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship class overviewTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsThe Island-class patrol boat is a class of cutters of the United States Coast Guard. Forty-nine of these boats were launched between 1985 and 1992, and while all have been retired from American service, several continue to serve in a number of foreign coast guards and navies.
The Island class was initiated during the Reagan administration, which regarded it as an important tool in the war on drugs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":15">Template:Cite book</ref> The early ships in the class were deployed to Florida, Puerto Rico and other ports in the Southeast United States and were somewhat successful in drug interdiction efforts. As more ships were built, the class was deployed throughout the United States and replaced obsolete cutters. They undertook the full range of Coast Guard missions, including search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, migrant and drug interdiction, and military operations.
The ships were deployed around the world. In 2003, eight of the Island-class boats were transferred to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf to assist the United States Navy's 5th and 6th Fleets in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and six were permanently assigned to Bahrain after the war.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Island-class boats served well past their original 15-year design life and were replaced in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet by Sentinel-class cutters. Over a dozen decommissioned ships have been transferred to allied navies and coast guards and continue on active duty.
Origins and contractingEdit
The Coast Guard began a process to replace its aging Point-class and Cape-class cutters in late 1982. It determined that there was an urgent need for replacement ships in order to police drug smuggling and illegal immigration, particularly in the Caribbean and Southeastern United States. In order to speed procurement and lower risks and costs, the Coast Guard required bids for its new Island-class cutters to be based on existing patrol boats, rather than brand new designs.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>
In choosing a military patrol boat design for the class, the Coast Guard explicitly prioritized performance over longevity. The drug smugglers of the 1980s were using high-performance motorboats to speed past law-enforcement vessels meant to interdict them. The 30-knot performance of the Island class vessels was achieved by powering a light hull with large engines. The hull was made light, in part, by using relatively thin steel. This thinner steel had less reserve to accommodate the inevitable corrosion, and had consequences throughout the class's life. The Coast Guard expected the service life of these vessels to be 15 years.<ref name=":5" />
On 11 May 1984 the Coast Guard awarded a $76 million contract to Marine Power Equipment Company of Seattle, Washington for the first 16 patrol boats.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its bid was based on an existing Korean patrol boat produced by the Dae Woo Shipbuilding. Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard, Inc. of Lockport, Louisiana, the losing bidder, sued in Federal court to have the award overturned. Bollinger argued that Marine Power had violated the contracting rules by substituting 12-cylinder engines for the 20-cylinder engines in the "Parent Craft" that it based its submission on. The court agreed, and set aside Marine Power's contract.<ref name=":2" />
In August 1984 the Coast Guard awarded a $76.8 million contract to Bollinger for the first 16 cutters. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These became the A-series ships. Bollinger's design was based on the Vosper Thornycroft Ltd. Template:Convert patrol boat.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref> Farallon was the first of these vessels produced. Her keel was laid on 26 December 1984.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bollinger owned the exclusive license to build the Vosper Thornycroft design, which precluded other American shipyards from bidding on subsequent contracts for Island-class ships. In order to allow for competition, the government purchased the license from Bollinger for $5.5 million<ref name=":5">Template:Cite book</ref> and then solicited bids for an additional 16 ships with options for 17 more. Bollinger was awarded this second contract, which had a face value of $99.3 million for the 16 firm orders, in February 1987.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shortly thereafter, options on five additional boats were exercised with $31 million of funding provided by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The final twelve cutters were funded in the FY 1990 Department of Defense budget.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Construction and characteristicsEdit
All of the ships in the Island class were built at Bollinger's Lockport, Louisiana shipyard. The hulls were built of welded steel plates, while the main deck and superstructure was built of aluminum to save weight. The hull form was a round-bottomed, semi-displacement design.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite book</ref> The ships are Template:Convert long overall, with a beam of Template:Convert, and a full-load draft of Template:Convert. The full-load displacement of the A-series boats was 163 tons.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite book</ref>
Propulsion is provided by two fixed-pitch, five-bladed propellers which are Template:Convert diameter.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite book</ref> In the A and B-series boats, these were driven by two 16-cylinder Paxman Valenta 16-CM RP200M Diesel engines, each of which could generate 2,880 continuous horsepower.<ref name=":7" /> In the C-series boats, the main engines installed were Caterpillar 3516 Diesel engines rated at 2,730 horsepower.<ref name=":6" /> One of the challenges with the propulsion package on A and B-series boats was that their minimum speed was 9 knots, which was too fast to safely tow some small boats.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":17" /> The Caterpillar engines in the C-series boats lowered the minimum speed to 4 knots, solving this search and rescue limitation.<ref name=":18">Template:Cite book</ref> All configurations had ZF gearboxes installed between the engines and the 4-inch diameter propeller shafts,<ref name=":19">Template:Cite book</ref> and twin rudders were located aft of the twin propellers.
Electrical power aboard was produced by two Caterpillar 3304T Diesel generators, each capable of producing 99 Kw.<ref name=":14">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Total capacity of the ships' fuel tanks was Template:Convert which gave them an unrefeuled range of 1,882 miles running at 26 knots.<ref name=":14" /> The potable water tanks aboard held Template:Convert. Water makers were installed which could produce Template:Convert of potable water per day.<ref name=":7" /> There were also tanks for sewage, gray water, lubrication oil, dirty oil, and oily water.<ref name=":19" />
All Island-class boats were equipped with an active fin stabilization system to reduce rolling while underway. Each of the two fins were Template:Convert tall and had Template:Convert of wetted surface.<ref name=":13" />
The A and B-series were originally armed with a Mark 16 20mm cannon on the foredeck and two M60 .50 caliber machine guns.<ref name=":7" /> As originally designed, the cutters had 10 tons of weight reservations for additional weapons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some of this was used when the Mk 38 25mm cannon was installed on the C-series boats instead of the 20mm weapon. The rest of the class was upgraded to the larger gun beginning in FY 1990.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":15" /> Similarly, the M60 machine guns were upgraded to M2 machine guns on all ships.
An Avon Searider boarding boat was stowed on a raised section above the engine room. In the late 1990's these were replaced by a cutter boat - medium built by Zodiac of North America. This boat was a rigid inflatable Template:Convert long with a bean of Template:Convert. It was propelled by a 90 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine and could achieve a maximum speed of 33 knots.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The boats could be launched on either side of the ship using an Appleton Marine crane which had a working capacity of Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
As originally built, the ships had accommodations for two officers, two petty officers, and twelve enlisted men, with two extra bunks for visitors. There was a galley and mess.<ref name=":14" /> The boats which served in Bahrain as part of Patrol Forces Southwest were equipped with additional berths to accommodate the embarked law enforcement detachments which boarded suspect boats.<ref name=":8" />
Variants and modificationsEdit
A-series (WPB 1301Template:En dash1316)Edit
Coast Guard requirements resulted in a larger bow fuel tank than in the original Thorneycraft design. Bollinger moved a bulkhead aft by two feet to accommodate the larger tank. When the tank was full and a ship was running at higher speeds into a head sea, A-series cutters experienced cracking in their steel bow plating. The affected steel was specified at 4 pounds per square foot, which meant that it was less than Template:Convert thick.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This issue was resolved by reinforcing the original bow plating and by avoiding the operating conditions that produced the cracking.<ref name=":5" /> Nationally-syndicated columnist Jack Anderson criticized this problem and other aspects of Island-class procurement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
B-series (WPB 1317Template:En dash1337)Edit
B-series cutters were built with heavier bow plating to avoid the hull cracking experienced in the A-series.
C-series (WPB 1338Template:En dash1349)Edit
Bollinger submitted a Value Engineering Change Proposal to the U.S. Navy, which administered the Island-class construction contract on behalf of the Coast Guard, to change the Paxman Valenta main engines for Caterpillar engines on the last twelve ships. The Navy accepted this proposal.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Caterpillar engines were cheaper to buy and maintain, were 3.3 tons lighter, and more fuel efficient. The greater fuel efficiency increased the range of the C-series vessels. An additional operational benefit was that the Caterpillar engines were equipped with a trolling clutch, reducing the minimum speed to 4 knots, allowing the C-series to safely tow small boats. Finally, the Caterpillar engines were made in America, rather than the imported Paxman engines.<ref name=":18" />
| A-series | B-series | C-series | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-load displacement | 163 tons | 157 tons | 153 tons |
| Main engines | Paxman Valenta 16-CM RP200M | Paxman Valenta 16-CM RP200M | Caterpillar 3516 |
| Maximum speed | 29.7 knots | 29.7 knots | 28 knots |
| Unrefueled range | 900 nm at 29.7 knots
2,700 nm at 12 knots |
900 nm at 29.7 knots
2,700 nm at 12 knots |
840 nm at 28 knots
2,400 nm at 12 knots |
| Main armament | 20-mm gun mk 67, converted to 25-mm Bushmaster cannon Mk 38 | 20-mm mk 67 gun, converted to 25-mm Bushmaster cannon Mk 38 | 25-mm Bushmaster cannon Mk 38 |
110/123 conversion programEdit
In the early 1990s, the Coast Guard faced the obsolescence of several ship and aircraft types which worked in offshore waters. Replacement of these assets would take decades and billions of dollars. It developed the Integrated Deepwater System Program to recapitalize its fleet over 25 years. The prime contract for the Deepwater program was awarded on 25 June 2002 to Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture of Northrup Grumman and Lockheed Martin.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>
The Deepwater program was constrained to a maximum expenditure of $500 million per year. Given the other priorities of the program, replacement of the Island-class patrol boats was not possible within the budgetary constraints of the early years. As an interim measure, Integrated Coast Guard Systems proposed to substantially modify Island-class cutters to upgrade their capabilities and extend their lives until the mid-2010s when fast response cutters were planned to replace them. The conversions were to be executed under subcontract by a joint venture between Bollinger and Halter Marine.<ref name=":3" />
Major conversion work included replacing rusted hull plates, adding Template:Convert to the stern to make room for a high-speed stern launching ramp, replacing the superstructure to give the bridge better visibility and to accommodate mixed-gender crews, and updated electronics. The refit added about 15 tons to the vessel's displacement, and reduced its maximum speed by approximately one knot. The eight cutters<ref name="Nola2011-04-18">Template:Cite news</ref> modified were;
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The specification for the converted patrol boats included unrestricted speed up through sea state 3, or seas averaging less than Template:Convert. In September 2004, Matagorda made a high-speed transit to avoid Hurricane Ivan, in seas which may have exceeded the design specification. Her hull buckled during the trip. After extensive study, the hulls of the converted patrol boats were reinforced. In 2006, Nunivak experienced hull deformation while underway aft of the area which had been reinforced. The reason for this failure could not be determined.<ref name=":3" />
In 2005, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas H. Collins made the decision to stop the conversion program at eight hulls. Sea trials revealed that structural flaws and the corrosion of the thin steel hulls made the conversions more expensive and riskier.<ref name=Military2006-06-23>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="marinelog">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Coast Guard spent $95 million on the failed conversion program.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The eight ships which had already been converted were restricted in their operations as a crew safety measure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In August 2006, a Lockheed Martin engineer went public with allegations of flaws in the conversion project, which the company and Coast Guard had ignored.<ref name=Wapo2006-08-29>Template:Cite news</ref> The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security investigated and agreed that the company had failed to use smokeless cabling and deployed electronics which did not meet the minimum temperature specifications.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>
On 30 November 2006 all eight of the converted patrol boats were taken out of service due to debilitating problems with their lengthened hulls.<ref name=":4" /> They were moved to the United States Coast Guard Yard<ref>U. S. Coast Guard Patrol Craft Template:Webarchive. HMC James T. Flynn, Jr. USNR(ret). 2012.</ref> and permanently decommissioned in December 2006.<ref name=":12" /> There they were stripped of reusable parts, and then sent to be scrapped.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The failure of the conversion program was costly and embarrassing for the Coast Guard, and it sought legal action against Bollinger. On 14 May 2006 the Department of Justice issued a litigation hold letter to Bollinger advising it that an investigation had been opened. On 17 June 2006 the Coast Guard revoked its acceptance of the eight converted cutters. The United States sued Bollinger on 29 July 2011 for $38.6 million in damages. This case was dismissed by the district court.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On appeal, the fifth circuit court of appeals reversed the district court in December 2014, and remanded the case for further action.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2015 the matter was settled with an $8.5 million payment from Bollinger.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Fleet modificationsEdit
A 1999 study indicated that a properly-sized stern flap might raise the maximum speed and fuel efficiency of the Island-class boats with a payback period of less than one year based on fuel savings. The flap raised the stern at higher speeds so that the boats could plane with less resistance. Stern flaps were installed on all the boats.<ref name=":13" />
Seventeen Island-class boats were renovated under a Mission Effectiveness Program which extended their lives until the Sentinel class could be delivered. The work included replacing rusted hull plating, overhauling the main engines, and replacing the generators, air conditioners, water makers, and fire suppression systems. The renovations were stopped in 2012 due to budget constraints.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Service historyEdit
Drug interdictionEdit
The first four Island-class boats commissioned were assigned to Squadron One in Miami, and the second four were assigned to Squadron Two in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. All of these boats were additional resources intended to interdict drug smuggling into the southeastern United States.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":17" /> Armed with the new ships, the Coast Guard was somewhat successful in this mission, seizing tons of drugs headed to the United States by sea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 October 1989 Cushing seized over six tons of coaine, the largest amount ever taken at sea up to that point.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The interdiction campaign caused the smugglers to try new tactics. They experimented with overflying American forces in the Caribbean to air drop drugs nearer the coast where they could be taken ashore more quickly. For example, in May 1990 a plane dropped 1,430 pounds of cocaine to a fishing boat near Andros Island. Farallon and Sitkanak coordinated with Bahamian authorities to seize the vessel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While interdicting drug smuggling into the Southeast United States was an early priority for Island-class cutters, these missions took place throughout the fleet. For example, in December 2013 Edisto seized more than Template:Convert of marijuana south of San Diego.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Caribbean migrantsEdit
There were several migration crises and efforts to control illegal immigration in the Caribbean in which the Island class featured prominently. As many of the immigrant vessels were unseaworthy and desperately overcrowded, these often became search and rescue missions. The history of Farallon was typical. Farallon returned 112 Haitians to their home country after intercepting them on a 45-foot (14-meter) sailboat in May 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Five cubans found floating in inner tubes 35 miles south of Key West were rescued by Farallon in December 1991.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 1993, Farallon intercepted a 25-foot (8-meter) sailboat with 43 Dominicans aboard off Miami Beach.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the 1994 Cuban rafter crisis, Farallon picked up more than 600 refugees from the Straits of Florida.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Farallon intercepted a 60-foot (18-meter) wooden boat with 411 people aboard, mostly Haitians, on 1 January 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2001, Farallon and Chandeleur rescued 185 Haitian immigrants from a 31-foot (9-meter) sailboat that was sinking off Elliot Key.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Island-class boats intercepted thousands of people trying to reach the United States by sea.
Search and rescueEdit
Island-class cutters were a primary search and rescue tool throughout the United States. The thousands of missions on which they were dispatched ranged from a single lost boater to entire cruise ships. The history of Liberty gives a sense for the search and rescue missions Island-class boats performed. In September 2001, Liberty rescued five crewmen from the fishing vessel Baranof Queen, which had been disabled off Cape Spencer. After the 38-foot (11.6 m) salmon-fishing vessel Belle-Tech was wrecked on the Gilanta Rocks in Dixon Entrance on 19 July 1999, Liberty rescued her crew of two, which had abandoned ship in a small boat. Liberty took eight people off the beached charter yacht Alaskan Song in 2001. On 15 May 2007, the sternwheel cruise ship Empress of the North went aground on Hanus Reef at the eastern entrance of Icy Strait. She had 281 passengers and crew aboard. Liberty, the ferry Columbia, and a number of nearby fishing boats responded. Liberty took off about 130 passengers and transferred them to Columbia.
Environmental protectionEdit
The Coast Guard mission to protect the American coast includes protecting it from environmental degradation. Island-class cutters were often called upon to protect the marine environment. Staten Island and Block Island each released juvenile sea turtles offshore as part of an effort to protect the species.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 5 April 2012, Anacapa intercepted the derelict Template:Convert Japanese squid fishing boat Ryou-Un Maru 180 miles (290 km) off the coast of Southeast Alaska. It had been washed away from its mooring in Aomori Prefecture, Japan by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and had drifted, unmanned, for more than a year across the Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard concluded that it was safer to sink it deep water rather than let it continue to drift and possibly become a hazard to navigation or the environment. The Anacapa fired on the ghost ship with her 25mm cannon, holing it and eventually sinking it with fire hoses in approximately 6,000-feet (1,800 meters) of water.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Overseas operationsEdit
Plans for Operation Iraqi Freedom included eight Island-class patrol boats. Adak, Aquidneck, Baranof, and Wrangell were transferred to the Persian Gulf as deck cargo on M/V Industrial Challenger, a chartered freighter. Based in Manama, Bahrain, these became core elements of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. During combat operations in March 2003, their missions included supporting the capture of Iraqi oil production platforms, patrolling against Iraqi small craft, capturing mine layers, rescue operations for helicopter crashes, and escorting cargo ships, particularly in the shallow, coastal waters where larger naval vessel could not operate. This was the first combat deployment of Coast Guard ships since the Vietnam war. After initial combat operations were concluded, the Island-class patrol boats engaged in mine clearance efforts and delivering humanitarian relief.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite book</ref>
Bainbridge Island, Grand Island, Knight Island and Pea Island sailed as deck cargo aboard M/V BBC Spain. They were based at Augusta Bay, Sicily where they became the core elements of Patrol Forces Mediterranean. Their missions included escorting Military Sealift Command ships on their way to Turkey, and patrolling against the possibility of Iraqi leaders escaping into the Mediterranean via a land route through Syria. Both those missions were cancelled. Turkey refused to host Coalition forces to provide a northern invasion route, and Syria closed its border with Iraq. The 6th Fleet released the cutters in May 2003 and the four ships sailed back to the United States, setting a record for the longest transit by Island-class boats.<ref name=":8" />
Maui and Monomony joined the intitial four boats in Bahrain in 2004. The six Island-class boats of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia conducted river patrols, provided security to oil installations, enforced United Nations sanctions, and boarded vessels in the Persian Gulf searching for contraband, weaponry, and suspected terrorists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Island-class boats were decommissioned in 2021 and 2022 and replaced by six Sentinel-class cutters, USCGC Charles Moulthrope , Robert Goldman, Glen Harris, Emlen Tunnell, John Scheuerman, and Clarence Sutphin Jr.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Island-class cutters were deployed to Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy in 1993 and 1994.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
DispositionsEdit
Transfers to foreign operatorsEdit
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Under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, surplus military equipment could be transferred to other countries through the Excess Defense Articles program<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to support U.S. foreign policy objectives. The U.S. Coast Guard has transferred several ships to foreign navies and coast guards through this program via the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's Office of International Acquisitions. Not only do these transfers support American policy goals, but they also offset the $400,000 cost of scrapping the boats.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In December 2016 ex-Grand Isle and Key Biscayne were transferred to the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.<ref name=":11" />
In 2017 ex-Long Island and Roanoke Island were transferred to the Costa Rican Coast Guard as part of the anti-drug smuggling cooperation between the two nations. They were valued at $18.9 million. They underwent an extensive refit at the Coast Guard Yard before sailing to Costa Rica in 2018.<ref name="USCG transfers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="NavalToday2018-03-07">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Georgian Coast Guard was given the decommissioned Staten Island and Jefferson Island in 2018. The gift was intended to replace ships sunk by Russia in 2008 and to strengthen Georgia in the Black Sea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 21 January 2020 the United States embassy in Cameroon announced that the Cameroonian Navy intended to acquire two refurbished Island-class vessels. The $40.5 million deal was approved in order to reduce piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on Cameroon for human rights violations,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the transfer of the ships was cancelled.
The Hellenic Navy purchased, at a cost of €39 million, four of the Island-class boats which were decommissioned in Bahrain.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These were ex-Adak, Aquidneck, Monomoy, and Wrangell. After an extensive shipyard refit, they were renamed and commissioned at a ceremony on 20 January 2025.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Ukrainian Navy acquired five Island-class boats as part of a multi-billion dollar military assistance program begun in response to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2019 ex-Drummond and Cushing were commissioned in their new service. In 2021, ex-Ocracoke, and Washington arrived in Odessa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 3 March 2022, Sloviansk, ex-Cushing, was sunk by Russian aircraft in the Black Sea. The fifth boat transferred to Ukaine was the ex-Kiska.<ref name=":10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Under the United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022, the President was ordered to assess whether the government of Ecuador could maintain Island-class cutters. If he concluded that it could, the President was authorized to transfer up to two Island-class cutters to Ecuador in order to protect the Galapagos Marine Reserve, to police illegal fishing, and to interdict drug smuggling.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In May 2023, the United States government pledged to provide the Philippines at least two Island-class patrol boats as part of a larger military assistance program during President Bongbong Marcos' visit to Washington D.C.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The recipient of the transferred vessels will be the Philippine Navy. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Two Island-class cutters were transferred to the Tunisian Navy in order to increase regional stability. They were commissioned into their new service on 17 April 2025, at a ceremony attended by the Tunisian Minister of National Defense, Imed Memmich, United States Ambassador to Tunisia, Joey R. Hood, and the commander of the United States 6th Fleet, Vice Admiral Jeffrey T. Anderson.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ships were named Tazarka (P305) and Menzel Bourguiba (P306).
In May 2025 the Coast Guard reported that the last three Island-class boats decommissioned from American service, ex-Liberty, Mustang, and Naushon, were to be transferred to the Columbian National Navy under the Excess Defense Articles program.<ref name=":20" />
Sales to Sea ShepherdEdit
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society purchased ex-Block Island and Pea Island in June 2015,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and ex-Bainbridge Island in November 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sea Shepherd used these ships in a variety of campaigns to protect oceanic wildlife. All three of these ships were deployed to the Sea of Cortez in cooperation with the Mexican government to enforce fishing regulations which protected the endangered vaquita. All of them appear to have been scrapped as various maintenance issues proved to be uneconomical to repair.
Island-class patrol boatsEdit
| image | name | commissioned | decommissioned | notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:USCGC Farallon (WPB 1301).jpg | Farallon (WPB-1301) | 21 February 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class">
Template:Cite book</ref> || 2016<ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref>|| | |||
| Manitou (WPB-1302) | 24 January 1986<ref name="Scheina-Island-class">
Template:Cite book</ref> || December 2006<ref name=":12" />|| Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | ||||
| File:Matagordawpb.jpg | Matagorda (WPB-1303) | 24 April 1986<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | |
| File:USCGC Maui (WPB-1304) with MH-60S of HSC-26 off Bahrain in December 2014.JPG | Maui (WPB-1304) | 9 May 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain<ref name="Maui-Monomoy-Wrangell-decom">Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| File:USCGC Monhegan prepares to dock.jpg | Monhegan (WPB-1305) | 16 June 1986<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | |
| File:USCGC Nunivak rescues two lucky boaters who fell overboard.jpg | Nunivak (WPB-1306) | 2 May 1986<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | |
| File:USCG Okracoke, Guantanamo.jpg | Ocracoke (WPB-1307) | 4 August 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | November 22, 2019 | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Vashon (WPB-1308) | 15 August 1986<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | ||
| File:USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309).jpg | Aquidneck (WPB-1309) | 26 September 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 15 June 2021 in Manama, Bahrain<ref name="Aquidneck-Adak-decom">
Template:Cite news</ref> ||Transferred to Greece<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| File:USCGC Mustang (WPB-1310).jpg | Mustang (WPB-1310) | 29 August 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 16 April 2025 in Seward, Alaska<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | Earmarked for transfer to the Colombian National Navy<ref name=":20">Template:Cite press release</ref> | |
| File:2009 Photo Contest - Second Place (4320540278).jpg | Naushon (WPB-1311) | 3 October 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>|| Earmarked for transfer to the Colombian National Navy<ref name=":20" /> | |
| File:US Navy 050804-C-2023P-569 Patrol Boat from Woods Hole, Mass., patrols the Portland Harbor as part of security measures for Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff's visit.jpg | Sanibel (WPB-1312) | 14 November 1986<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || |
| File:Engine swap 121203-G-JY570-018.jpg | Edisto (WPB-1313) | 7 January 1987<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || | |
| File:USCGC Sapelo moored next to a cruise liner in San Juan.jpg | Sapelo (WPB-1314) | 24 February 1987<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 1 October 2016<ref name=":12" /> | ||
| File:USCGC Matinicus responds to tank farm explosion in Puerto Rico.jpg | Mantinicus (WPB-1315) | 16 April 1987<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 31 March 2016<ref name=":12" /> | Scrapped in 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:Coast-Guard-Cutter-Nantucket-WPB-1316.jpg | Nantucket (WPB-1316) | 4 June 1987<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 8 March 2017<ref name="Cushing-Nantucket-decommissioned">
Template:Cite news</ref>|| | ||
| Attu (WPB-1317) | 9 May 1988<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | ||
| File:USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) -- COMBAT CAMERA 140221-N-QP268-491.jpg | Baranof (WPB-1318) | 20 May 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 26 September 2022<ref name="auto" /> | ||
| File:United States Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur.jpg | Chandeleur (WPB-1319) | 8 June 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>|| | |
| File:US Coast Guard Cutter Chincoteague (WPB-1320) passes Fort San Felipe del Morro.jpg | Chincoteague (WPB-1320) | 8 August 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | |||
| File:USCGC Cushing (WPB-1321) on Potomac River 03 Nov 2015.jpg | Cushing (WPB-1321) | 8 August 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 8 March 2017<ref name="Cushing-Nantucket-decommissioned" /> | transferred to Ukraine, renamed Sloviansk, sunk by Russian aircraft on 3 March 2022 | |
| File:US Navy 030807-N-6477M-213 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CuttyHunk (WPB 1322) escorts the Ohio-class strategic missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) through the strait of Juan De Fuca.jpg | Cuttyhunk (WPB-1322) | 15 October 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 5 May 2022 in Port Angeles, Washington<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | ||
| File:P191 Starobilsk.jpg | Drummond (WPB-1323) | 19 October 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | transferred to Ukraine, renamed Starobilsk | ||
| File:USCGC Key Largo.jpg | Key Largo (WPB-1324) | 24 December 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 27 February 2023<ref name="auto4" /> | ||
| Metompkin (WPB-1325) | 12 January 1989<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | ||
| File:US Navy 040809-G-1034C-216 The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy (WPB 1326) is off-loaded as part of a six-boat force representing the Coast Guard operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf.jpg | Monomoy (WPB-1326) | 16 December 1988<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain<ref name="Maui-Monomoy-Wrangell-decom" /> | Transferred to Greece<ref name=":0" /> | |
| File:San Francisco USCGC Orcas (WPB-1327)1.jpg | Orcas (WPB-1327) | 14 April 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 23 April 2024 in Coos Bay, Oregon<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | ||
| File:USCGC Padre Island (WPB 1328) - 1999-11-30.jpg | Padre (WPB-1328) | 24 February 1989<ref name="Scheina-Island-class" /> | December 2006<ref name=":12" /> | Failed 110/123 conversion; scrapped | |
| File:USCGC Sitanak with refugees -a.jpg | Sitkanak (WPB-1329) | 31 March 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | |||
| File:Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returns to homeport following 54-day patrol.jpg | Tybee (WPB-1330) | 9 May 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 28 March 2023<ref>[1]</ref><ref name="auto4" /><ref name="auto3" /> | ||
| File:USCGC Washington (WPB-1331).JPG | Washington (WPB-1331) | 9 June 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 18 December 2019 | transferred to Ukraine, renamed P193 Fastiv<ref name=":16" /> | |
| File:USCGC Wrangell (WPB-1332) underway in the Arabian Sea on 7 February 2018 (180207-N-TB177-0417).JPG | Wrangell (WPB-1332) | 24 June 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain<ref name="Maui-Monomoy-Wrangell-decom" /> | Transferred to Greece<ref name=":0" /> | |
| File:Liberty22.jpg | Adak (WPB-1333) | 17 November 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 15 June 2021 in Manama, Bahrain<ref name="Aquidneck-Adak-decom" /> | Transferred to Greece,<ref name=":0" /> renamed Galanis Georgios (P198) | |
| File:USCGC Liberty Island (WPB-1334).jpg | Liberty (WPB-1334) | 4 August 1989<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 29 April 2025 in Valdez, Alaska<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | Earmarked for transfer to the Colombian National Navy<ref name=":20" /> | |
| File:USCGC Anacapa (WPB-1335).jpg | Anacapa (WPB-1335) | 13 January 1990<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 26 April 2024 in Port Angeles, Washington<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | ||
| File:RIMPAC 2000 DVIDS1081891.jpg | Kiska (WPB-1336) | ca. 1 December 1989 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 23 October 2020 | transferred to Ukraine, renamed Vyacheslav Kubrak<ref name=":10" /> | |
| File:USCGC Assateague.jpg | Assateague (WPB-1337) | ca. 1 January 1990 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 13 October 2017 | Scrapped in 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:USCGC Grand Isle (WPB-1338), off Crete.jpg | Grand Isle (WPB-1338) | ca. 14 December 1990 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 2015 | transferred to Pakistan, renamed PMSS Sabqat<ref name=":11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| File:2009-12-06 USCGC Key Biscayne WPB1339.jpg | Key Biscayne (WPB-1339) | 27 April 1991<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | transferred to Pakistan, renamed PMSS Rafaqat<ref name=":11" /> | ||
| File:USCG-1340-Jefferson-Island.jpg | Jefferson Island (WPB-1340) | 16 August 1991<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 19 September 2014 in Portland, Maine | transferred to Georgia, renamed Dioskuria<ref name=":9" /> | |
| File:USCGC Kodiak Island.jpg | Kodiak Island (WPB-1341) | 21 June 1991<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | |||
| File:United States Coast Guard Cutter Long Island (WPB 1342).jpg | Long Island (WPB-1342) | 27 August 1991<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> renamed Juan Rafael Mora Porras | |
| File:US Navy 030828-C-5313L-543 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bainbridge Island (WPB 1343), home ported in Sandy Hook, NJ., stands watch over the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.jpg | Bainbridge Island (WPB-1343) | ca. 14 June 1991 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>||purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MV Sharpie; likely scrapped | |
| File:WPB 1344, USCG Block Island, an Island Class 110 foot cutter, and USCG helicopter.jpg | Block Island (WPB-1344) | ca. 19 July 1991 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>||purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Jules Verne & later MV John Paul DeJoria; likely scrapped | |
| File:USCGC Staten Island leaves Washington DC -a.jpg | Staten Island (WPB-1345) | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || 2 October 2014<ref name="auto1" /> ||transferred to Georgia, renamed Ochamchire<ref name=":9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| File:Coast Guard Cutter Roanoke Island (WPB 1346) slices through the waters of Prince William Sound at full speed.jpg | Roanoke Island (WPB-1346) | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || 6 April 2015<ref name="auto5" /> ||transferred to Costa Rica,<ref name=":1" /> renamed Gen. Jose M. Canas Escamilla | ||
| File:MY Farley Mowat at Dock.jpg | Pea Island (WPB-1347) | ca. 1 November 1992 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Farley Mowat II; likely scrapped | ||
| File:USCGC Knight island.jpg | Knight Island (WPB-1348) | ca. 6 December 1991 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | |||
| File:USCGC Galveston Island - 170214-G-CA140-1001.jpg | Galveston Island (WPB-1349) | ca. 17 January 1992 (delivery date)<ref name="Polmar-Island-class" /> | 16 March 2018 | Scrapped in 2018<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
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