Freedom deployment to have CG boarding team

[unhappycamper]

Freedom deployment to have CG boarding team
By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Dec 12, 2009 8:31:30 EST

The littoral combat ship Freedom is to take aboard a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment for part of its trial deployment early next year, Navy officials said, with the Coasties substituting for part of the Navy boarding team added to the LCS crew.

Freedom is taking 20 sailors in two visit, board, search and seizure teams in addition to its 75 crew members, and at some point in its deployment next year, Coast Guardsmen temporarily will take over for about half those VBSS sailors, said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Servello, a spokesman for Naval Surface Forces.

Coast Guard detachments are common aboard warships that conduct law enforcement boardings. Smuggler-hunting frigates in the Caribbean and warships in the pirate-ridden Gulf of Aden use Coast Guardsmen’s police powers to seize contraband and make arrests on the high seas.

Although Navy officials would not discuss Freedom’s probable assignments, they and Coast Guard officials are probably eager to pit the ship — with its sprint speed of more than 40 knots — against the small, fast boats that ferry illicit cocaine on its way to the U.S.

After the Coast Guardsmen have ridden Freedom for part of its deployment, the detachment will rotate off during a port visit and the original members of the VBSS team will retake their place, Servello said. It’s not clear yet how long the Coasties would be aboard.


Rest of article about this $600+ million wonder at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/navy_lcs_freedom_121209w/