Vietnam Could be Received Third Hamilton class Cutter

07 September 2020

CSB 8020 ex USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC 722) (photo : Vladimir Knyaz)

Recently, the Command of Vietnam Coast Guard sent a delegation to the US to receive the Hamilton ship by the US Coast Guard's border type and transfer. According to new information, in the near future, Vietnam will receive another Hamilton.

The CSB 8020 patrol vessel, formerly known as the USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC 722) of the US Coast Guard, is the largest stretch of the Vietnam Coast Guard today and is also the patrol ship of law enforcement. largest in Southeast Asia. This was originally part of the American Hamilton class, after the border type was transferred to partners and allies for further use by the Navy and Coast Guard. The ship officially joined the payroll of the Vietnam Coast Guard early in 2018.

Previously, in mid-August, the 1st Marine Police Zone Command set up a delegation to prepare to go to the US to receive the former USCGC John Middget (WHEC 726), also belonging to Hamilton class. This vessel has been officially eliminated from the beginning of 2020, according to the plan, it will be handed over to the Vietnam Coast Guard on March 26 this year. But due to the complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reception was delayed. This is the second Hamilton of Vietnam Coast Guard.

The little known thing is that the Vietnam Coast Guard has asked the US partner to transfer us up to three Hamilton patrol boats. Also in August, the US Coast Guard continued to demarcate another Hamilton ship, the USCGC Mellon (WHEC 717) and is currently anchored next to the USCGC John Middget which is about to be handed over to Vietnam. Her role has been decided and the Mellon will be transferred to the Bahraini Navy.

Thus, 11 out of 12 Hamilton built for the US Coast Guard were delivered to partners and allies, of which 2 were delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard, the rest are transferred to the navies of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Bahrain. The last one, USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC 724), has not yet removed the boundary, and its future is unknown where it will go.

USGCGC Douglas Munro (EHEC 724) (photo : Douglas Munro)

It is extremely good news, according to a source from the Philippine Department of Defense, the last Hamilton, USCGC Munro, will be delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard in the near future. It was also very reasonable for our side to have requested three and Munro was also the last one in the class.

Thus, with the coming time, we will have three large Hamilton class patrol boats, the strength of the Vietnam Coast Guard will definitely increase significantly, at the same time coordinate with multi-purpose patrol boats DN 2000 and other ship TT 120/200/400 covers a large territorial sea of ​​our country on the sea, creating conditions to more firmly protect national sovereignty.

It can be seen that the continuous delivery of used Hamilton ships by the US to partners and allies is a very smart and smart thing, they do not need to spend the expense of handling the ships. But at the same time, it is possible to improve their diplomatic spirit with countries, especially Southeast Asian countries, which are in desperate need of ships with large amounts of water stretching for long-distance sea missions.

The Hamiltons have been around for about 40 years, but the hulls of these ships are quite good, ensuring that they can continue to be used for about 15 to 20 years. Although the United States Coast Guard is gradually switching to newer patrol boats, Hamilton's operational capabilities are undeniable, especially the ability to sea in the conditions. complicated weather, long sea-clinging time and great range.

In terms of weapon configuration, the basic US Coast Guard Hamilton used an Otto Melara gunboat, a phalanx close-range defense system and some .50cal Browning heavy machine guns. However, when transferred, the US partner will remove all weapons and leave only one main gun Otto Melara in front of the bow.

The specifications of the Hamilton ship include: The ship has a full load displacement of 3,250 tons, 115m long, 13m wide, equipped with an electric diesel engine that allows the ship to have a maximum speed of 29 knots, range 14,000 nautical miles, continuous operating time at sea is 45 days with a crew of 167 people. The ship has a flight deck and a hangar that can receive helicopters to coordinate tasks such as reconnaissance, rescue and rescue, etc.

Thus, after fully receiving three Hamilton ships, the number of ships of this class of the Vietnam Coast Guard has been equal to that of the Philippine Navy, even with the combat capability and maritime coverage of our law enforcement forces, slightly better than your country's navy. This can be said to be a great concern of superiors, creating conditions for our forces to have the best and most secure equipment to contribute to more firmly defending the sovereignty of the above sea state.

(KienThuc)