Page 24: of Marine News Magazine (June 2022)

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Feature

Combat and Patrol Craft

Michael Macdonald / U.S. Navy

LCAC 103 underway enters USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) well deck during interoperability testing February 2022 at NSWC Panama City. from the boats’ high maintenance costs and low usage to Ukrainian news source Kyiv Independent on January 4, date. 2022 reported that the Mk VI will likely carry MSI Se-

Mission re-classi? cation of the NECC’s Coastal Riv- ahawk A2 gun systems, 30-millimeter Mk44S Bushmaster erine Force (CRF) to the Maritime Expedition Security cannons and a short-range missile system. The boats will

Force (MESF) in 2020 has also stalled the nearly-new Mk be used to defend Ukrainian ports, communications and

VI boats. “The plan for the Mk VI patrol boat is [being] maritime borders in the Black and the Azov seas following worked through with our leadership and Capitol Hill,” in- loss of Ukrainian naval assets in the con? ict during Russia’s dicated NECC commander RADM Joseph DiGuardo, Jr. annexation of Crimea in 2014.

at a recent conference. He added, “Our role is to maintain The “Island” cited by RADM Neizhpapa refers to former it in the highest state of readiness … [to] ensure that it’s U.S. Coast Guard 110-foot Island Class (WPB 1301 and fol- prepared to execute operations when tasked to do so. …” low) cutters that the U.S. has also donated to Ukraine as part pending further disposition. of a $2.5 billion aid package following Crimea. Following 2

However, SBI are under an $84.2 million U.S. Depart- WPB cutters in 2019, 2 more were delivered this past No- ment of State contract for up six Mk VI boats plus a $25.6 vember as tensions between Ukraine and Russia intensi? ed. million option for two more, ? lling orders to meet the now- That these ? ne cutters prove reliable for international naval urgent needs of Ukraine. A grand total of up to 16 boats plus service following decades of duty in the U.S. Coast Guard associated equipment to Ukraine was approved June 2020 speaks volumes for American shipbuilding, not to mention by the State Department. Transfers will begin in 2022, ac- the Coast Guard’s attention to their maintenance and upkeep.

cording to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement during Sadly, one of these WPBs, the Sloviansk, was reported a

Ukraine’s Day of the Navy event at Odesa last 4 July. Citing casualty in the Russian war against Ukraine around March the Mk VI new builds in a December 2020 Radio Liberty 3, 2022. Beyond a report on March 6, by Mayor Volody- interview, Ukrainian Navy RADM Alexei Neizhpapa said, myr Novatsky, port city of Yuzhny, of missing crew mem- “We have completely decided on the weapons systems that bers, extent of casualties is unknown. Sloviansk had served will be installed on both the Mk VI and the Island.” as the USCGC Cushing for nearly 30 years prior to her | MN June 2022 24