USCGC Stone
{{short description|Legend-class cutters of the United States Coast Guard}}
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| infobox caption = USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = USCGC Stone (WMSL-758).jpg | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career | Ship country = United States | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United States|coast guard}} | Ship name = Stone | Ship namesake = Elmer Fowler Stone | Ship awarded = 31 March 2015 | Ship builder = Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi | Ship original cost = $499.76 Million{{cite web|title=Production Awarded For Eighth National Security Cutter |url=https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-9/Newsroom/In%20The%20News%20Archives/2015/nsc040115.pdf|website=USCG.mil|publisher=US Coast Guard|access-date=August 26, 2018}} | Ship laid down = 14 September 2018 | Ship launched = 4 October 2019 | Ship sponsor = | Ship christened = 29 February 2020 | Ship acquired = 10 November 2020 | Ship commissioned = 19 March 2021 | Ship decommissioned = | Ship struck = | Ship fate = | Ship homeport = Charleston | Ship identification = Pennant number: WMSL-758 | Ship motto = "Energy Efficiency Courage"{{cite web|title=USCGC Stone (WMSL 758)|url=https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=18842&CategoryId=10789&grp=3&menu=Uniformed%20Services|website=tioh.army.mil|publisher=The Institute of Heraldry|access-date=June 23, 2022}} | Ship status = Active | Ship badge = 125px }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Header caption = | Ship class = {{sclass2|Legend|cutter|0}} cutter | Ship displacement = {{convert|4500|LT|t}} | Ship length = {{convert|418|ft|m|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|54|ft|m|abbr=on}} | Ship draft = {{convert|22.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} | Ship propulsion = Combined diesel and gas | Ship speed = {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}} | Ship range = {{cvt|12,000|nmi|lk=in}} | Ship endurance = 60 to 90-day patrol cycles | Ship complement = 120 | Ship sensors = *AN/SPS-75 air search radar
| Ship EW = *AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare system | Ship armament = * 1 x Mk 110 {{cvt|57|mm|in|abbr=on}} Naval Gun System (variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun)
| Ship armor = *Ballistic protection for main gun | Ship aircraft = 2 x MH-65C Dolphin MCH, or 1 x MH-65C Dolphin MCH and 2 x sUAS{{cite web|title=Coast Guard Selects Small UAS For NSC|url=https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-9/Newsroom/In%20The%20News%20Archives/2016/uas062816.pdf?ver=2017-06-13-142928-460|website=USCG.mil|publisher=US Coast Guard|access-date=August 27, 2018}} }} |
USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) is the ninth {{sclass2|Legend|cutter|3|United States Coast Guard Cutter}} of the United States Coast Guard and is expected to be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina.{{Cite web|title=USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) {{!}} Modern weapons|date=14 November 2020 |url=http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/tag/uscgc-stone-wmsl-758/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011213334/http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/tag/uscgc-stone-wmsl-758/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 11, 2018|access-date=2021-01-10|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Industries|first=Huntington Ingalls|title=Photo Release--Ingalls Shipbuilding Awarded $88.2 Million Advance Procurement Contract for a Ninth NSC|url=https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/releases/photo-release-ingalls-shipbuilding-awarded-88-2-million-advance-procurement-contract-for-a-ninth-nsc|access-date=2021-01-10|website=Huntington Ingalls Newsroom|language=en}}
Development and design
{{Main|Legend-class cutter}}
All of Legend-class cutters were constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries and were part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.{{cite web|title=National Security Cutter (NSC)|url=http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater/system/nsc.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824030749/http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater/system/nsc.htm|archive-date=2007-08-24|access-date=2007-09-01|publisher=Integrated Deepwater System Program}} They are of the high endurance cutter roles with additional upgrades to make it more of an asset to the Department of Defense during declared national emergency contingencies.{{cite web|author=John Pike|title=Maritime Security Cutter, Large (WMSL) / National Security Cutter (NSC)|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/nsc.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901003351/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/nsc.htm|archive-date=2011-09-01|access-date=2011-08-21}} The cutters are armed mainly to take on lightly-armed hostiles in Low-Threat Environments.
Construction and career
Stone was laid down on 14 September 2018, launched on 4 October 2019 by Huntington Ingalls Industries and christened on 29 February 2020. She will be expected to be commissioned in February 2021. Her sea trials took place on 15 September in the Gulf of Mexico and was successfully delivered to the Coast Guard on 10 November 2020.{{Cite web|title=Video: Newest US Coast Guard Cutter Undergoes Sea Trials|url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/video-newest-us-coast-guard-cutter-undergoes-sea-trials|access-date=2021-01-10|website=The Maritime Executive|language=en}}
On 22 December 2020, she left Pascagoula, Mississippi for her first patrol, which was also her shakedown cruise, in the South Atlantic.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-29|title=Fresh from Shipyard and Quarantine, Coast Guard Cutter Stone Heads Out for Southern Atlantic Patrol|url=https://news.usni.org/2020/12/28/fresh-from-shipyard-quarantine-coast-guard-cutter-stone-heads-out-for-southern-atlantic-patrol|access-date=2021-01-10|website=USNI News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=U.S. Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Stone Underway for First Patrol - DefPost|url=https://defpost.com/u-s-coast-guard-cutter-uscgc-stone-underway-for-first-patrol/|access-date=2021-01-10|website=defpost.com|language=en-GB}} While in the South Atlantic, she participated Operation Southern Cross which is designed to counter illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing along with strengthening partnerships throughout the region.{{Cite web|title=DVIDS - Operation Southern Cross|url=https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/SouthernCross|access-date=2021-03-19|website=DVIDS|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Seapower|date=2021-03-04|title=U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone Completes Operation Southern Cross|url=https://seapowermagazine.org/u-s-coast-guard-cutter-stone-completes-operation-southern-cross/|access-date=2021-03-19|website=Seapower|language=en-US}} On January 29, 2021, it was announced that the Stone would not make her scheduled stop in Argentina after visiting Guyana, Brazil, and Uruguay. The crew did not disembark in Montevideo, due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |title=El buque de la Guardia Costera de EEUU que patrulla el Atlántico Sur finalmente no hará escala en Argentina |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/eeuu/2021/01/29/el-buque-de-la-guardia-costera-de-eeuu-que-patrulla-el-atlantico-sur-finalmente-no-hara-escala-en-argentina/ |access-date=January 30, 2021 |work=infobae |date=January 29, 2021 |language=es-ES}} Before returning home, while off the coast of Guyana she helped to interdict a suspected narcotic trafficker with USCGC Raymond Evans (WPC-1110).{{Cite web|title=On Maiden Voyage, USCGC Stone Crew Interdict Narcotics in Caribbean|url=https://www.southcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/Article/2472293/on-maiden-voyage-uscgc-stone-crew-interdict-narcotics-in-caribbean/|access-date=2021-03-19|website=U.S. Southern Command|language=en-US}} Evans took possession of the contraband and the traffickers. The recovered cocaine was estimated to be in excess of 970 kilograms.{{Cite web|title=On Maiden Voyage, USCGC Stone Crew Interdict Narcotics in Caribbean|url=https://www.southcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/Article/2472293/on-maiden-voyage-uscgc-stone-crew-interdict-narcotics-in-caribbean/|access-date=2021-03-19|website=U.S. Southern Command|language=en-US}} After recovering the drugs, she continued on her shakedown cruise covered {{convert|18,250|nmi|km|lk=in}} over the course of 68 days before returning home.
Stone was commissioned on 19 March 2021, in her homeport of North Charleston, S.C.
See also
References
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External links
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{{Legend-class cutter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone (WMSL-758)}}
Category:Ships of the United States Coast Guard
Category:Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi
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