Posted on Jun 15, 2015
Frigate retirements could cripple drug interdiction efforts. Just another DOD budget ploy?
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Frigates are, hands-down, the heavy hitter in the Navy's fight to stop drug traffickers at sea. They nabbed 98 percent of the 164 metric tons of cocaine, valued at $3.2 billion, that Navy ships have seized in the last five years.
But the frigates' service coming to an end this summer, which could cripple drug interdiction efforts in the coming year. That's why planners are scrambling to assemble a hodgepodge of auxiliary ships to take on the mission until the littoral combat ships arrive in sufficient numbers.
Frigates were involved in "the vast majority" of Navy interdictions over the past five years, said Capt. Juan Hogan, deputy director of the 4th Fleet Maritime Operations Center. According his figures, Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships were also responsible for 76 percent of the 26,000 pounds of marijuana seized.
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/13/loss-of-frigates-threatens-war-on-drugs/71086006/
But the frigates' service coming to an end this summer, which could cripple drug interdiction efforts in the coming year. That's why planners are scrambling to assemble a hodgepodge of auxiliary ships to take on the mission until the littoral combat ships arrive in sufficient numbers.
Frigates were involved in "the vast majority" of Navy interdictions over the past five years, said Capt. Juan Hogan, deputy director of the 4th Fleet Maritime Operations Center. According his figures, Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships were also responsible for 76 percent of the 26,000 pounds of marijuana seized.
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/13/loss-of-frigates-threatens-war-on-drugs/71086006/
Drugs
Sequestration
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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Besides, if the war on drugs is ended these types of operations will become obsolete!
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When it comes to these types of operations, I thought the Coast Guard were often deployed on a Navy ship, and they comprise the boarding teams.
If that is the case, the Coasties can just use their own ships (sorry, "Cutters").
If that is the case, the Coasties can just use their own ships (sorry, "Cutters").
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PO3 Daniel Smith
The counter drug mission is lead by the USCG since they are DHS and can enforce domestic law without an act from Congress. The USCG fleet is not large enough to handle to the mission alone. This is where the USN Frigate fleet comes in. The USN is allowed by law to transport the USCG boarding teams as long as the USN does not act in a law enforcement capacity. The USN can remove the Frigate fleet but they will need to offset the mission with another platform. Perfect world would be a larger USCG fleet, but now we are back on a budget issue.
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PO1 John Miller
We could transfer the Frigates to the Coast Guard. We've done it before with Mine Sweepers.
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PO3 Daniel Smith
The USCG still would not have sufficient personnel to man the vessels. I would think that the USN would want to continue the Counter Drug mission since it brings money into their budget. Also, with the withdraw of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan it would give the USN a peacetime mission to focus on.
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1LT William Clardy
Traditionally, PO3 Daniel Smith, it's considered sound fiscal practice to not pour money into a solution which lacks a problem. So, if the Navy lacks a mission for certain ships, then the fiscally prudent result would be to put away those ships until a need actually arose for them.
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1LT William Clardy
I wonder what percentage of the boarding parties that seized those drugs were composed of Marines, GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad? Don't you think that we should prioritize some additional funding for the USMC based upon their importance to the incredible success of the Navy's drug-interdiction efforts...
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CPO Joseph Grant
We do more than you think. I was on a submarine and we were a primary player in a major drug bust. Awarded USCG special ops ribbon for that
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PO3 Daniel Smith
The Subs are very critical to the war on drugs since they assist with locating the cartel subs that are transporting tons of cocaine in one shipment. We worked with USN subs on almost all of our deployments to South and Central America.
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1LT William Clardy
CPO Joseph Grant and PO3 Daniel Smith, I have no doubt that Navy ships (including the repeatably sinkable variety) are very useful to paramilitary operations against the import of controlled substances.
Similarly, LHAs and other amphibious assets regularly play essential roles in supporting disaster-relief operations around the world.
In my book, at least, neither fact represents a primary mission (much less overriding budgetary justification) any more than the widespread acceptance by police department of M16 rifles and M4 carbines that have been declared surplus constitutes a reason to buy more M16s and M4s.
Similarly, LHAs and other amphibious assets regularly play essential roles in supporting disaster-relief operations around the world.
In my book, at least, neither fact represents a primary mission (much less overriding budgetary justification) any more than the widespread acceptance by police department of M16 rifles and M4 carbines that have been declared surplus constitutes a reason to buy more M16s and M4s.
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