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The United States Coast Guard commissioned a new Keeper class of coastal buoy tenders in the 1990s that are 175 feet (53 m) in length and named after lighthouse keepers.
Keeper-class cutters serve the Coast Guard in a variety of missions and are tasked with maintaining aids to navigation (ATON), search and rescue (SAR), law enforcement (LE), migrant interdiction, marine safety inspections, environmental protection and natural resources management. Keeper-class cutters are also used for light ice breaking operations.
These vessels are 175' long and replaced the World War II era 180', 157' and 133' tenders. The new class of buoy tender cut crew size from 50, 35 and 26, respectively, to 25, saving the already cash-strapped Coast Guard financial and personnel resources.
Keeper-class cutters were built by
Keeper class characteristics
Lighthouse keepers Auxiliary tender classes {{US-mil-ship-stub
The United States Coast Guard commissioned a new Keeper class of coastal buoy tenders in the 1990s that are 175 feet (53 m) in length and named after lighthouse keepers.
Keeper-class cutters serve the Coast Guard in a variety of missions and are tasked with maintaining aids to navigation (ATON), search and rescue (SAR), law enforcement (LE), migrant interdiction, marine safety inspections, environmental protection and natural resources management. Keeper-class cutters are also used for light ice breaking operations.
These vessels are 175' long and replaced the World War II era 180', 157' and 133' tenders. The new class of buoy tender cut crew size from 50, 35 and 26, respectively, to 25, saving the already cash-strapped Coast Guard financial and personnel resources.
Keeper-class cutters were built by Marinette Marine
Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is an American shipbuilding firm in Marinette, Wisconsin. Marinette Marine was a subsidiary of Manitowoc Marine Group of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2009, when it was sold to Fincantieri Marine Group.
History
M ...
of Marinette, WI.
Keeper-class cutters are equipped with mechanical Z-drive azimuth thruster propulsion units instead of the standard propeller and rudder configuration. These mechanical drives are designed to independently rotate 360 degrees. Combined with a thruster in the bow, they enable Keeper-class tenders to dynamically maneuver in a variety of sea states. This creates an extremely maneuverable platform which, when combined with modern navigation aids such as GPS, DPS, and ECDIS to allow the Cutter to maintain static positions. This allows the cutter to precisely place an aid to navigation (ATON).
Keeper-class boarding teams are armed with modern small arms.
List
The following 175-foot WLMs in service (as of 2006):See also
* USCG seagoing buoy tender * USCG inland buoy tender *USCG inland construction tender An inland construction tender is a type of ship used to build and service shore structures such as piers and buoy trestles. It is also used to maintain buoys and aids to navigation. Less frequently, they may be used for law enforcement, environmen ...
Notes
References
* Baker, A. D. ''The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999''. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1998. . * Saunders, Stephen. ''Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2002. .Further reading
* Putnam, George R., ''Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States'' (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933). * United States Coast Guard, ''Aids to Navigation'' (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945). *External links
*Keeper class characteristics
Lighthouse keepers Auxiliary tender classes {{US-mil-ship-stub