![A USCG Maritime Force Protection Unit boat, in Bangor, Washington](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/A_USCG_Maritime_Force_Protection_Unit_boat%2C_in_Bangor%2C_Washington.jpg)
A Maritime Force Protection Unit (MFPU) is a
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
unit type tasked with the protection of
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
ballistic missile submarines
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...
(SSBN) while surfaced and transiting U.S. territorial waters to and from their patrol stations.
Maritime Force Protection Units have approximately 150 personnel and are "single-mission" units, meaning they have no other responsibilities other than the defense of SSBNs.
As of 2017, there were two Maritime Force Protection units, both of which were activated in 2007.
The first, Maritime Force Protection Unit Kings Bay, is based at
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the city of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, on the North River in southeastern Georgia, and 38 miles (61 km) from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submari ...
; a second, Maritime Force Protection Unit Bangor, is based at
Naval Submarine Base Bangor
Naval Submarine Base Bangor is a former submarine base of the United States Navy that was merged with Naval Station Bremerton into Naval Base Kitsap in 2004.
History
The Naval Support Base Bangor's naval history began in 1942 when it became a sit ...
.
References
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United States Coast Guard