Upgrading U.S. Coast Guard Legacy Cutters with HF Systems JITC Certified to MIL-STD-188-141B ALE

Background:

The U.S. Coast Guard is considered the 12th largest “navy” in the world, yet some of the ships date back to World War II. The average age of a Coast Guard Cutter is 25 to 30 years old. The Coast Guard needed to upgrade its 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) fleet to meet new waveform standards including MIL-STD-188-141B Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). In summer 2005, Thales was awarded a $32 million, 10-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract to upgrade all existing Coast Guard Cutters in the legacy fleet. Under this contract, Thales completed the installations aboard the 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutters and 378-foot High Endurance Cutters (WHEC). Upgrades to the 210-foot WMEC and Icebreaker fleets are ongoing.

Download the Case Study

Solution:

To upgrade the Coast Guard fleet, Thales delivered its Series 5000 HF system. This upgrade provides the Coast Guard maximum flexibility with the latest integrated and networked shipborne HF technology supporting the newest generation waveforms, including MIL-STD-188-141B Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). Thales’ modularly designed, dual channel HF radios provide size and weight reductions over legacy equipment and, with a variety of control applications, allow the Coast Guard the ability to remotely control the Thales HF system from multiple locations, maximizing operational flexibility and reducing workload. The Series 5000 HF system includes transceivers, power amplifiers, couplers, ALE modems, and associated spares. Thales is the only HF provider to offer a Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) solution for the Coast Guard--a fundamental requirement.

In 2008, the Coast Guard selected the Thales HF system for incorporation into new cutter acquisition contracts for the next five to seven years. The system will be integrated on the Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) and Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) as well as other Cutter and shore communications acquisition programs with medium-powered (up to 1KW) HF and HF-ALE requirements. The Coast Guard deemed the Thales HF system to be the “Gold Standard” and a proven, “extremely capable, highly reliable and easy to maintain radio that exceeds Coast Guard requirements.” In early 2009, Thales received the initial order for the FRC (Sentinel-Class), soon to be re-designated WPC, the Coast Guard’s new patrol boat for the 21st Century. Thales will be supporting L-3 Communication Systems-East and will provide two shipsets.

270-ft WMEC	378-ft WMEC
210-ft WMEC	Icebreaker

(Artist Rendering of the Fast Response Cutter - Sentinel Class Courtesy of Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.)