USCGC Valiant
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Image:USCGC Valiant WMEC-621.jpg |Ship caption=USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621) }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United States |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United States|coast guard}} |Ship name= |Ship namesake= |Ship owner= |Ship operator= |Ship registry= |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=28 February 1966 |Ship launched=14 January 1967 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=3 November 1967 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service=17 June 2025 |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport=Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida |Ship identification=*{{MMSI Number|367264000}}
|Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship fate= |Ship status=In commission, special status |Ship notes= |Ship badge=150px }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship type= |Ship tonnage= |Ship displacement=759 tons |Ship length={{cvt|210|ft|6|in}} |Ship beam={{cvt|34|ft}} |Ship height= |Ship draught={{cvt|10|ft|6|in}} max |Ship draft= |Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*Originally, 2 × Cooper-Bessemer Corporation FVBM-12 turbocharged diesel engines
|Ship sail plan= |Ship speed=*{{convert|14|kn|km/h|0}} cruising
|Ship range=*{{convert|6100|mi|km |
1|adj=on}} at cruising speed
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| 1|adj=on}} at max speed
|Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats=*1 × 23 foot Over The Horizon (OTH)
|Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement=12 officers, 63 enlisted |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors=2 × AN/SPS-64 radar |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*1 × Mk 38 25 mm machine gun |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft=HH-65 Dolphin |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621) is a United States Coast Guard multi-mission medium endurance cutter in service since 1967 and in commission, special status (that is, inactive) since 17 June 2025. Valiant was most recently home ported in Jacksonville, Florida and operated in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico for the Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area. Missions included search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, and national defense operations.
History
USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621) was laid down 28 February 1966 at American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio, United States and launched on 14 January 1967. She is the seventh of sixteen cutters of her class. She was commissioned on 3 November 1967 at Galveston, Texas, her first homeport, where she served for 24 years.
In November 1991, Valiant was decommissioned for a mid-life overhaul. On January 7, 1994, Valiant was re-commissioned to her second homeport in Miami Beach, Florida.{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Area-Cutters/CGCVALIANT/History/ |title=History of USCGC Valiant |author= |website= United States Coast Guard Atlantic Area, U.S. Department of Homeland Security |publisher=Defense Media Activity |access-date=10 November 2022}}
On 8 August 2012 Valiant arrived at her new homeport at Naval Station Mayport.Mayport Mirror. [http://mayportmirror.jacksonville.com/military/mayport-mirror/2012-08-08/story/valiant-joins-mayport-fleet].
On 17 June 2025 at Jacksonville, Floria, Valiant was removed from active duty and placed in commission, special status. At that time, the Coast Guard planned to deliver Valiant to an inactive shipyard status at the Coast Guard Yard and reassign her crew to other shore and shipboard positions. The time that she would remain in commission, special status was unknown.{{cite press release |author= |date=17 June 2025 |title=Coast Guard Cutter Valiant celebrated for over 57 years of service during heritage recognition ceremony |url=https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4219645/coast-guard-cutter-valiant-celebrated-for-over-57-years-of-service-during-herit/ |location=Naval Station Mayport, Florida |publisher=Defense media Activity |agency=United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security |access-date=18 June 2025}}
Capabilities
Valiant normally carries 12 officers and 63 crewmembers. An important aspect of Valiant{{'}}s design is the attention given to habitability. The ship has its own galley, sickbay, laundry, sewage treatment system, televisions, radios, and digital satellite television.
Powered by two V16 {{Convert|2550|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} ALCO diesel engines, Valiant is capable of a maximum sustained speed of {{convert|18|kn|km/h|0}}. Valiant is equipped with two controllable-pitch propellers, which makes her highly maneuverable.
Valiant has a 25 mm machine cannon mounted on the bow and is capable of firing high-explosive projectiles at a rate of 180 rounds per minute. In addition, the vessel mounts two .50 caliber heavy machine guns. The 24-foot "Cutter Boat Large" (CBL) and the 23 foot "Over The Horizon" (OTH) are used to visit and board other vessels at sea. The special towing bitt on the fantail allows Valiant to tow vessels up to 10 times her size. Another feature of Valiant is her ability to carry a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter. The helicopter extends the ship's surveillance range for law enforcement and reduces response time for search and rescue mission.
Valiant{{'}}s mission capabilities are greatly enhanced by sophisticated electronic equipment such as: a Global Positioning System, surface search radar with a computerized collision avoidance system, radio direction finders, fathometers, and different types of radios.
Operational history
Image:USCGS Valiant (WMEC-621) Miami.jpg
Valiant played an important role in the 1980 Cuban Boatlift in conjunction with dozens of Coast Guard cutters, small boats, aircraft, and Navy vessels.
On 8 June 1990 the tanker Mega Borg{{'}}s pump room exploded leaving the ship crippled, on fire and leaking oil. Responding rapidly to an event {{convert|60|mi|km|0}} offshore, Valiant{{'}}s crew overcame complex logistical problems to mount an effective fire fighting, salvage and pollution cleanup campaign.
Since 1994, Valiant has been actively engaged in Alien Migration Interdiction Operation (AMIO). Valiant recovered and interdicted over 500 Haitian and Cuban migrants during Operations Able Manner and Able Vigil. Valiant repatriated over 1,900 Haitian migrants from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Port au Prince, Haiti over the course of 11 passages.
In 1996, Valiant was Patrol Commander for the Summer Olympic Sailing events in Savannah, Georgia, directing over 29 Coast Guard assets in providing security for 800 athletes from 98 countries. Following the Olympics, Valiant earned an overall excellence award at Refresher Training in Mayport, Florida, with an overall score of 98%. In 1997, Valiant participated in Operation Tradewinds and trained over 500 Caribbean Coast Guard members from 12 countries in damage control, engineering, and seamanship fundamentals.
In January 1999, Valiant escorted the merchant ship Cannes to the coastal waters of Galveston, TX. A boarding team from Valiant helped Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 406 South search Cannes, resulting in the discovery of over 10,000 pounds of cocaine. Next, Valiant sailed to Mayport, Florida, where for the second time in a row the ship earned the Atlantic Area Commander's award for operational readiness at Tailored Ship Training Availability (TSTA) in February 1999.
Just after midnight on 7 November 1999, Valiant discovered a partially submerged vessel with a man on top of the sinking hull and another man floating in the water. The two men had been sailing back to Antigua when their boat started to take on water; soon afterwards a wave had capsized the boat. The two men spent over 30 hours in the water before Valiant{{'}}s crew rescued them.
In November 1999, approximately {{convert|100|mi|km|-1}} south of St. Croix, Valiant rendezvoused with the British warship {{HMS|Northumberland|F238|6}}. A USCG LEDET boarding team aboard Northumberland intercepted the motor vessel Adriatik in the vicinity of Barbados. After three days, the boarding team found two and half tons of cocaine. The boarding concluded with the arrest of 13 crewmembers and the seizure of both the vessel and the cocaine.
During the passage of Hurricane Lenny in November 1999, Valiant led search and rescue efforts for two missing sailing vessels in the vicinity of Saba Island. For two days Valiant faced 10- to 15-foot swells and winds up to {{convert|60|kn|km/h|0}}. Valiant was the on-scene commander supervising the search efforts of 6 Coast Guard cutters and 29 aircraft assets. Valiant and its crew covered over 1250 miles searching for two missing sailboats. Despite locating over eight overturned and capsized vessels adrift in the area, only one survivor was found.
In 2004, Valiant engaged in alien migration interdiction operations during the 2004 Haiti Rebellion near Port-au-Prince.{{cite web|url=http://www.piersystem.com/go/doctype/586/4148/&offset=20/|title="US Coast Guard Migrant Interdiction Operations"}} She repatriated 531 Haitians intercepted on boats as they tried flee the growing violence and turmoil fueled by rebel forces intent on removing President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power.{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2004-02-27/world/haitian.repatriation_1_haitian-migrants-haitian-officials-haitian-coast-guard?_s=PM:WORLD/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119184524/http://articles.cnn.com/2004-02-27/world/haitian.repatriation_1_haitian-migrants-haitian-officials-haitian-coast-guard?_s=PM:WORLD/|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2013|title="Coast Guard repatriates Haitians who fled violence"}}
On 23 January 2010, Valiant assisted in the humanitarian relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.{{cite web|url=http://www.navytimes.com/2010/01/coastguard_haiti_011310w/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906115656/http://www.navytimes.com/2010/01/coastguard_haiti_011310w/|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 September 2012|title=Coast Guard Sends Cutters, Aircraft to Haiti|publisher=Navy Times|date=13 January 2010|access-date=13 January 2010}}
On 24 September 2019, the Coast Guard reported that Valiant, along with four Colombian naval assets, intercepted a 40' long drug-smuggling semi-submersible carrying 12,000 lbs. of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. The submersible was spotted by maritime aircraft prior to asking Valiant for assistance. The cocaine was estimated to be worth $165 million. Only 1,100 lbs. of the cocaine could be recovered from the submersible before it was sunk due to safety issues. The exact location where the submarine was found was not disclosed. Four men were taken into custody.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/homeland-coast-guard/462888-coast-guard-stops-self-propelled-vessel-holding-more-than|title=Coast Guard stops self-propelled vessel holding more than $165M in cocaine|first=Justine|last=Coleman|work=thehill.com|date=24 September 2019|access-date=24 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/coast-guard-takes-down-sub-carrying-165-million-of-cocaine|title=Coast Guard intercepts undersea vessel carrying $165M of cocaine|first=Louis|last=Casiano|work=www.foxnews.com|date=24 September 2019|access-date=24 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/submarine-found-pacific-ocean-165-million-cocaine-coast/story?id=65825505|title=Submarine found in Pacific Ocean with $165 million in cocaine, Coast Guard says|first=Matt|last=Zarrell|work=abcnews.go.com|date=24 September 2019|access-date=24 September 2019}}
On 26 August 2023, the Valiant intercepted a hydro-pod, a watercraft resembling a giant floating hamster wheel, about 70 nautical miles east of Tybee Island, Georgia. Reza Baluchi, the crewman and motor of the hydro-pod, was en route to England. A boarding party from the Valiant approached the hydro-pod and warned Baluchi that Hurricane Franklin was approaching, but Baluchi first threatened to stab himself and then to blow himself up if his vessel was boarded. The following day Valiant{{'}}s watch over Baluchi was relieved by {{USCGC|Campbell|WMEC-909|6}}, whose crew eventually persuaded Baluchi to accompany them to Miami Beach.{{cite news |last=Wamsley |first=Laurel |date=7 September 2023 |title=Coast Guard arrests a man trying to run a giant hamster wheel across the Atlantic |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/09/07/1198252469/coast-guard-hamster-wheel-reza-baluchi-atlantic-ocean |work=National Public Radio |location=Miami Beach, Florida |access-date=18 June 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621)}}
- [https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Area-Cutters/CGCVALIANT/ Valiant home page]
- {{HAER |survey=FL-37 |id=fl0864 |title=U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant, Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Duval County, FL |photos=10 |color=6 |data=10 |cap=2}}
{{Reliance class cutter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valiant}}
Category:Ships of the United States Coast Guard
Category:Reliance-class cutters
Category:2010 Haiti earthquake relief