NNS ''Okpabana'' is a
high endurance cutter which formerly served with the
U.S. Coast Guard as
USCGC ''Gallatin'' (WHEC-721). Built at
Avondale Shipyards near
, ''Gallatin'' was named for
Albert Gallatin, the fourth and longest serving
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
. ''Gallatin'' completed her final patrol 11 December 2013 and was decommissioned in 2014 before being transferred to the
Nigerian Navy.
Construction
''Gallatin'' was laid down at Avondale Shipyards on 17 April 1967, as the seventh ship of her class. She was launched on 18 November 1967 and was commissioned on 20 December 1968.
Design
The ship is designed as a high endurance cutter. Her cruising range of at ), and an flight deck, capable of handling helicopters, make the ship an ideal platform for extended patrol missions. ''Gallantin'' was one of the first naval vessels built with a
combined diesel or gas (CODOG) turbine propulsion plant. Her engineering plant includes two
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-cal ...
s, and two
gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directio ...
s, which can achieve a top speed of . Two diameter
controllable pitch propeller
In marine propulsion, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. Reversible propellers—those where the pitch can be set to negative values—can a ...
s, combined with a retractable and rotatable bow propulsion unit, give the ship high maneuverability.
The ship's capabilities are enhanced by advanced air search and surface search radars including the AN/SPS-73 digital surface radar system that incorporates a state of the art computerized collision avoidance system. She uses the Shipboard Command and Control System (SCCS) which uses a network of computers including large screen displays and a dedicated satellite network for communications. A closed circuit TV system enables the Commanding Officer to monitor flight deck operations, machinery conditions, towing, damage control, and related activities from the bridge.
History
''Gallatin''s missions included enforcement of all U.S. maritime laws and treaties, fisheries conservation, marine pollution response, defense readiness, and search and rescue. ''Gallatin'' served with the United States Coast Guard until 31 March 2014, when she was decommissioned. On 7 May, she was transferred to the
Nigerian Navy and renamed ''Okpabana''.
Nigerian service
On 19 February 2016 NNS ''Okpabana'' recaptured the pirated tanker ''Maximus'' in the Gulf of Guinea, killing one pirate and capturing six others.
Photos
File:USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721) at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads on 30 March 1988 (6449555).jpg, USCGC ''Gallatin'' (WHEC-721)
File:USCG Gallatin Mk 75 firing.jpg, ''Gallatin'' fires her 76 mm Mk 75 gun during a live-fire exercise
References
External links
"''Gallatin'' home page"U.S. Coast Guard, 30 August 2008
"History of the ''Gallatin''"U.S. Coast Guard, 9 September 2008
"NNS OKPABANA ARRIVED NIGERIA AMID CHEERS"Michael Mortimer, 20 March 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okpabana
Hamilton-class cutters of the Nigerian Navy
Hamilton-class cutters
Ships built in Bridge City, Louisiana
1967 ships