USCGC Stone explained

USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) is the ninth of the United States Coast Guard and is expected to be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina.^{[1] [2]}

Development and design

See main article: Legend-class cutter. All of Legend-class cutters were constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries and were part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.^[3] They are of the high endurance cutter roles with additional upgrades to make it more of an asset to the Department of Defense during declared national emergency contingencies.^[4] The cutters are armed mainly to take on lightly-armed hostiles in Low-Threat Environments.

Construction and career

Stone was laid down on 14 September 2018, launched on 4 October 2019 by Huntington Ingalls Industries and christened on 29 February 2020. She will be expected to be commissioned in February 2021. Her sea trials took place on 15 September in the Gulf of Mexico and was successfully delivered to the Coast Guard on 10 November 2020.^[5]

On 22 December 2020, she left Pascagoula, Mississippi for her first patrol, which was also her shakedown cruise, in the South Atlantic.^{[6] [7]} While in the South Atlantic, she participated Operation Southern Cross which is designed to counter illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing along with strengthening partnerships throughout the region.^{[8] [9]} On January 29, 2021, it was announced that the Stone would not make her scheduled stop in Argentina after visiting Guyana, Brazil, and Uruguay. The crew did not disembark in Montevideo, due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.^[10] Before returning home, while off the coast of Guyana she helped to interdict a suspected narcotic trafficker with USCGC Raymond Evans (WPC-1110).^[11] Evans took possession of the contraband and the traffickers. The recovered cocaine was estimated to be in excess of 970 kilograms.^[12] After recovering the drugs, she continued on her shakedown cruise covered 18250nmi over the course of 68 days before returning home.

Stone was commissioned on 19 March 2021, in her homeport of North Charleston, S.C.

See also

• Integrated Deepwater System Program

Notes and References

1. Web site: USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) Modern weapons. 14 November 2020 . 2021-01-10. en-US.
2. Web site: Industries. Huntington Ingalls. Photo Release--Ingalls Shipbuilding Awarded $88.2 Million Advance Procurement Contract for a Ninth NSC. 2021-01-10. Huntington Ingalls Newsroom. en.
3. Web site: National Security Cutter (NSC). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20070824030749/http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater/system/nsc.htm. 2007-08-24. 2007-09-01. Integrated Deepwater System Program.
4. Web site: John Pike. Maritime Security Cutter, Large (WMSL) / National Security Cutter (NSC). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110901003351/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/nsc.htm. 2011-09-01. 2011-08-21.
5. Web site: Video: Newest US Coast Guard Cutter Undergoes Sea Trials. 2021-01-10. The Maritime Executive. en.
6. Web site: 2020-12-29. Fresh from Shipyard and Quarantine, Coast Guard Cutter Stone Heads Out for Southern Atlantic Patrol. 2021-01-10. USNI News. en-US.
7. Web site: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Stone Underway for First Patrol - DefPost. 2021-01-10. defpost.com. en-GB.
8. Web site: DVIDS - Operation Southern Cross. 2021-03-19. DVIDS. en.
9. Web site: Staff. Seapower. 2021-03-04. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone Completes Operation Southern Cross. 2021-03-19. Seapower. en-US.
10. News: El buque de la Guardia Costera de EEUU que patrulla el Atlántico Sur finalmente no hará escala en Argentina . January 30, 2021 . infobae . January 29, 2021 . es-ES.
11. Web site: On Maiden Voyage, USCGC Stone Crew Interdict Narcotics in Caribbean. 2021-03-19. U.S. Southern Command. en-US.
12. Web site: On Maiden Voyage, USCGC Stone Crew Interdict Narcotics in Caribbean. 2021-03-19. U.S. Southern Command. en-US.