Medium endurance cutter

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 control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area).[1] These cutters have adequate accommodations for crew to live on board[1] and can do 6 to 8 week patrols.[2]

Other ships in the WMEC classification are the 282-foot (86 m) USCGC Alex Haley, and the now-decommissioned 213-foot (65 m) USCGC Acushnet, and 230-foot (70 m) USCGC Storis,[3] and 205-foot (62 m) USCGC Tamaroa which began as the United States Navy Cherokee-class fleet tug USS Zuni launched in 1943.

There are 13 vessels in the Famous class, and 12 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.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Aircraft, Boats, and Cutters". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2012-11-25. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  2. ^ "210' / 270' Medium Endurance Cutters". Archived from the original on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2012-12-11.[unreliable source?]
  3. ^ "Coast Guard Assets and Equipment". United States Coast Guard Reserve. Archived from the original on 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  4. ^ "Coast Guard Modernization". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2012-12-11.