USCGC Steadfast

USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) was a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter in commission for 56 years. Commissioned in 1968, Steadfast was home ported in St. Petersburg, Florida for her first 24 years of service. In 1992, she was decommissioned for Major Maintenance Availability (MMA) to extend her service another 25 years. Following MMA in February 1994, Steadfast was re-commissioned and home ported in Astoria, Oregon until her decommissioning on February 1, 2024.

USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
History
United States
Builder	American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Laid down	2 May 1966
Launched	24 June 1967
Commissioned	7 October 1968
Decommissioned	1 February 2024
Refit	31 January 1994
Homeport	Astoria, Oregon
Identification	MMSI number: 367265000 Callsign: NSTF
Nickname(s)	"El Tiburón Blanco"
Status	Inactive
General characteristics
Displacement	759 tons
Length	210 ft 6 in (64.16 m)
Beam	34 ft (10 m)
Draft	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) max
Propulsion	2 x V16 2550 horsepower ALCO 251B diesel engines
Speed	max 18 knots; 2,700 mile range
Range	cruise 14 knots; 6,100 mile range
Complement	12 officers, 63 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	2 x AN/SPS-64 navigation and surface search radar.
Armament	1 × Mk 38 25mm chain gun 2 × M2HB .50 caliber machine gun
Aircraft carried	HH-65 Dolphin

Steadfast completed over 330 Search and Rescue cases, interdicted over 1.6 million pounds of marijuana and 27,700 pounds of cocaine, seized over 65 vessels, and stopped over 3500 undocumented migrants on the high seas from entering the United States. Steadfast was the first, and is one of only two cutters awarded the gold marijuana leaf, symbolizing one million pounds of marijuana seized. Legend holds Steadfast was named "El Tiburón Blanco" (Spanish for "The White Shark") by Colombian drug smugglers in the 1970s for being such a nemesis to their illegal drug operations. Steadfast's crew used the symbol of "El Tiburón Blanco" as one of their logos to epitomize Steadfast's aggressive law enforcement posture.^[1]

On 21 September 1978, Douglas DC-3 N407D of Argosy Airlines crashed into the Caribbean Sea whilst on a ferry flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to José Martí International Airport, Havana. All four people on board were killed.^[2] The aircraft disappeared off radar screens at 12:43 local time (17:43 UTC). A search was initiated, which Steadfast coordinated, but was called off on 24 September without any trace of N407D being found.^[3]

USCGC Steadfast completed her final Coast Guard patrol on December 18, 2023^[4] and was decommissioned in Astoria on February 1, 2024 after 56 years of service. The ship, now in Excess Defense Article status, will proceed to Baltimore, Maryland where she will be made available to sale to other countries via the Coast Guard's Foreign Military Sales Program.^[5]

References

1. "United States Coast Guard > Our Organization > Area Cutters > CGC Steadfast > History". United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Defense Media Activity. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
2. "N407D Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
3. "Into the Blue". Bermuda Triangle. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
4. "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast returns home after final patrol of Coast Guard service" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Defense Media Activity. U.S. Department of Defense. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
5. "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast decommissioned after 56 years of service" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Defense Media Activity. U.S. Department of Defense. 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-02-06.

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623).

USCGC Steadfast gallery

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  Steadfast pier-side at Astoria
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  Steadfast's builder's plate
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  Bridge aboard Steadfast

External links

• Steadfast home page