IMAGERY AVAILABLE: Coast Guard Cutter Midgett visited Chennai, India during Western Pacific Patrol 2022

 

News Release

September 21, 2022 U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Contact: Coast Guard Pacific Area Public Affairs pacificareapublicaffairs@uscg.mil Pacific Area online newsroom

IMAGERY AVAILABLE: Coast Guard Cutter Midgett visited Chennai, India during Western Pacific Patrol 2022

  

Editor's Note: Click on images above to download high-resolution version. 

CHENNAI, India – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) departed Chennai, Monday, following the crew’s third international port call during their months-long Western Pacific deployment to the region.

Midgett’s crew conducted bilateral in-port exchanges sharing expertise and best practices in Coast Guard missions with the Indian Coast Guard while in Chennai, building upon the strong partnership between the two nations.

The Midgett visited with the U.S. Consul General of Chennai, Judith Ravin, the Indian coast guard East Region Chief of Staff, Satish Kumar, the Indian coast guard District 5 commodore and other local dignitaries while the Midgett was in Chennai.

Midgett’s crew conducted bi-lateral underway joint exercises with the Indian Coast Guard just off the coast of Chennai, and these drills consisted of a search and rescue exercise, boarding of a target vessel, firefighting capabilities, and formation maneuvering.

“The U.S. Coast Guard has a longstanding commitment to our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Willie Carmichael, commanding officer of the Midgett. “We spent the past four days with our Indian Coast Guard partners working to advance our capabilities and interoperability through meaningful human interactions with our likeminded partners who share similar values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”Midgett is operating in support of United States Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees military operations in the region.

Operating under the tactical control of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, the cutter’s crew plans to engage in professional and subject matter expert exchanges with regional partners and allies and will patrol and operate as directed during their Western Pacific deployment.

The Coast Guard provides expertise within the mission sets of search and rescue; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; maritime environmental response; maritime security; maritime domain awareness; aviation operations; interoperability; and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

As both a federal law enforcement agency and a branch of the armed forces, the Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to conduct security cooperation operations in support of combatant commanders on all seven continents. The service routinely provides forces in joint military operations worldwide, including the deployment of cutters, boats, aircraft and deployable specialized forces.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a 150-year enduring role in the Indo-Pacific. The service’s ongoing deployment of resources to the region directly supports U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives in the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the National Security Strategy.

Since 2019, the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750), Stratton (WMSL 751), Waesche (WMSL 751) and Munro (WMSL 755) have deployed to the Western Pacific.

Commissioned in 2019, Midgett is one of two Coast Guard legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed in excess of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew of up to 170.

Midgett is the second cutter named after all of the members of the Midgett family members who have served in the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Life Saving Service and other predecessor life-saving services. Seven members of the Midgett family have been awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal including John Allen Midgett Jr. and Rasmus Midgett.

National security cutters feature advanced command and control capabilities, aviation support facilities, stern cutter boat launch and increased endurance for long-range patrols to disrupt threats to national security further offshore.

-USCG-