USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)

USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715 is a U. S. Coast Guard high endurance cutter based out of San Diego, California. Launched December 18, 1965 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana and named for Alexander Hamilton the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. She was commissioned March 18, 1967.

Design

The Coast Guard designed a high level of habitability into USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2. Living compartments and areas provide fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning, for the 173 men and women who serve on board USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2.cite web|url=http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcHamilton/history.asp |title=History of USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC-715) |accessdate=2008-08-08 |date=2008-06-20 |work=USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) official web site |publisher=United States Coast Guard ]

Propulsion

USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 was the first U.S. military vessel to employ the now common shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines with the use of controllable pitch propellers. USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2’"s" two 18,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/whec-378.htm |title=WHEC 378' Hamilton class |accessdate=2008-08-08 |date=2005-27-04 |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org ] gas turbines can propel USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 at speeds up to convert|28|kn|km/h|0. USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 also has two 3,500 horsepower Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, capable of driving the ship economically at convert|17|kn|km/h|0 for up to convert|14400|nmi|km|-2 without refueling. A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides exceptional maneuverability in tight situations.

Flight Support

USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2’"s" flight deck and hangar, capable of handling both Coast Guard and Navy helicopters extends the vessel’s rescue and maritime law enforcement operations.

Renovation

In 1988, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 completed a three-year fleet renovation and modernization that provided the ship with modern weapons and electronics systems. All spaces and machinery were also completely overhauled and refurbished. The new technology enables USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 to operate seamlessly with the United States Navy.

Missions

USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 has served a variety of missions with distinction. During a 1969-70 deployment to Vietnam, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 interdicted weapons smugglers and fired more than 4,600 rounds of gunfire in support of U.S. and Vietnamese troops ashore. From 1965-1975, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 served on Atlantic Ocean Stations, collecting valuable oceanographic data and conducting frequent search and rescue missions. USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 also directed the interdictions of over 21,000 Haitian migrants throughout the Caribbean during Operation Able Manner. In 1994, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 received the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation for rescuing 135 Haitians from the sea after their sailboat capsized and sank. In 1996, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 transited the Panama Canal and served as the command and control platform for Operation Frontier Shield, a multi-agency effort to curtail the influx of narcotics into the United States. USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 intercepted 14 drug-laden vessels carrying more than 115 tons of contraband worth 200 million dollars. In 1999, Hamilton seized over 2,700 kilograms of cocaine bound for the U.S. in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 frequently patrols the Bering Sea off the Alaskan coast at the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) which separates the Russian and the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). "Hamilton’s" presence on the MBL deters foreign fishing vessels from fishing in the U.S. EEZ.

In March 2007, USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 assisted the USCGC|Sherman|WHEC-720|2 in the largest recorded maritime drug bust in history. The two vessels intercepted the Panamanian-flagged fishing vessel "Gatun" in international waters and were able to recover 20 metric tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $600 million dollars retail. The seizure was the largest drug bust in US history and the largest interdiction at sea. [ cite web|url=http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/786/151219/ |title=COAST GUARD MAKES RECORD MARITIME COCAINE SEIZURE |accessdate=2008-08-08 |last=Carter |first=Cmdr. Jeff |date=March 21, 2007 |work=USCG Press Statement |publisher=United States Coast Guard ]

References

External links

* [http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgchamilton/ USCGC|Hamilton|WHEC-715|2 home page]