WASHINGTON – The crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutters Gallatin, Rush, and Thetis collectively seized more than 33,949 pounds of cocaine during recent law enforcement deployments.  According to the commands, communication upgrades installed on legacy cutters as part of the Integrated Deepwater System played a major contributing role in the success of Coast Guard operations involving multiple cutters, federal agencies, and foreign countries. 

     The Deepwater program’s command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, known as C4ISR, newly installed aboard the cutters provides improved interoperability and allows their crews to maintain a common operational picture and higher levels of maritime domain awareness.  The Deepwater C4ISR upgrade included provisions for first time ever access to classified Local Area Network and Secure Internet Protocol Router Network, which affords the crew access to real-time intelligence information during current operations, access to Department of Defense satellite, as well as increased speed of transmission, through compressed bandwidth capability. The Deepwater program, in conjunction with its partner in industry, Integrated Coast Guard Systems, has completed C4ISR upgrades on six of nine high endurance cutters and 12 of 13 medium endurance cutters.  

     The success of the drug interdictions was not without incident.  Despite recent Deepwater communication enhancements, the overall condition of the Coast Guard’s legacy fleet continues to deteriorate.  On the same patrols that netted drug seizures, one cutter experienced an engine failure and another encountered other propulsion difficulties.

      The Gallatin, a 38 year-old 378-foot cutter homeported in Charleston, S.C., underwent its Deepwater C4ISR installation in August 2004.

     The Rush, a 37 year-old 378-foot cutter homeported in Honolulu, underwent its Deepwater C4ISR installation in May 2004.

    The Thetis, an 18 year-old 270-foot cutter homeported in Key West, Fla., underwent its C4ISR installation in March 2004.      

     The Integrated Deepwater System is the largest recapitalization effort in the over 214-year history of the Coast Guard—a multiyear program to modernize and replace aging ships and aircraft that will be linked with state-of-the-art C4ISR systems supported by an integrated logistics regime. The Deepwater acquisition of ships, airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned air vehicles will provide full interoperability with other Coast Guard platforms while meeting the full range of Coast Guard missions. The program’s multibillion-dollar contract was awarded in June 2002 to Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Integrated Coast Guard Systems is the Coast Guard’s prime contractor, systems integrator, and industry partner for the Deepwater program.

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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.