CG: Rotation would extend service life of fleet

[unhappycamper]

The Coast Guard plans to start rotating the home ports of some surface ships, based on weather conditions, in order to preserve them.


CG: Rotation would extend service life of fleet
By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 2, 2009 6:59:55 EST

With the vast majority of the Coast Guard’s surface vessels either at or nearing the end of their planned service lives, officials are borrowing practices from the aviation community to boost the operational life of the fleet.

Rear Adm. Tom Ostebo, assistant commandant for engineering and logistics, said the service will start rotating the home ports of some surface ships, based on weather conditions. Though it is not clear how many vessels will be moved or from what locations, Ostebo said some movement in the small-boat fleet could begin as early as this year.

“We need to be clear and honest regarding the task ahead. This is hard work, and it will require the efforts and patience of every member of our service to get this right. The alternative is to live and operate in the past,” wrote Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen in his blog, iCommandant, referring to efforts to increase the life of the service’s aging fleet “This is a stewardship issue that we all own.”

Ostebo said the ships stationed in locations such as Guam and Puerto Rico likely will be part of the rotation cycle because they tend to have more corrosion than others in the fleet because of higher saline levels in the water and humidity in those areas. On the other hand, ships stationed off the coast of Alaska will be considered because the constant pounding of waves damages the hulls more quickly.

The goal is to have a constant supply of ships in the yard, he said. Once a ship is reconditioned, it will be moved to a location that has different fatigue issues from its previous home port. The idea is based on an aviation model that uses a planned depot maintenance line where, for example, four to five H-60s are always in the yard. Once one aircraft is reconditioned, it is moved to a new home and another aircraft is added to the back of the line.


Rest of article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/01/coastguard_agingfleet_013109w/%2e