Famous class cutter USCGC Mohawk makes port visit in Sierra Leone


According to information published by the U.S. DoD on August 1, 2022, the Famous-class medium endurance cutter USCGC Mohawk (WMEC 913) arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone for a scheduled port visit.
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Russian Vyborg Shipyard laid the Purga ice class coastguard ship of project 23550 925 001 Famous-class medium endurance cutter USCGC Mohawk (Picture source: U.S.DoD)


USCGC Mohawk (WMEC-913) is a 270' United States Coast Guard Famous-class medium endurance cutter. She was launched on September 9, 1989 at Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated of Middletown, Rhode Island, and commissioned in March 1991.

The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMEC is a type of United States Coast Guard Cutter mainly consisting of the 270-foot (82 m) Famous- and 210-foot (64 m) Reliance-class cutters.

These larger cutters are under the control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). These cutters have adequate accommodations for crew to live on board and can do 6 to 8-week patrols.

There are 13 vessels in the Famous class, and 14 vessels still in active US service in the Reliance class. The Coast Guard plans to eventually phase out the vessels in both of these cutter classes and replace them with the Offshore Patrol Cutter as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.

The Famous-class vessels have hull numbers in the range from WMEC-901 through WMEC-913. Entering service in the 1980s, the Famous-class cutters were designed as replacements for the 327-foot (100 m) Treasury-class cutters, and their mission profile emphasized law enforcement, particularly patrolling the newly established 200-mile (320 km) exclusive economic zone.

The Coast Guard harvested weapons systems components from decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates to save money. Harvesting components from four decommissioned frigates resulted in more than $24 million in cost savings, which increased with parts from more decommissioned frigates.

Equipment such as the Mark 75, 76 mm/62 caliber gun mounts, gun control panels, barrels, launchers, junction boxes, and other components from decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates were returned to service aboard Famous-class cutters in order to extend their service lives into the 2030s.