DEFENSE
Coast Guard patrol systems secure floating trade routes
Cutters, patrol vessels, and response fleets across the floating economy extend authority at sea.
National Security Cutter Stone (WMSL 758). Photo by Hii.
As offshore industries expand, so do threats — from piracy to smuggling to gray-zone conflicts. Coast Guards are modernizing their patrol systems with advanced cutters, offshore vessels, and multi-role platforms. For The Floating Economy, these systems are frontline guardians of trade, fisheries, and floating infrastructure.
U.S. Coast Guard – National Security Cutters (Legend-class): Built by HII, these 418-foot vessels patrol thousands of miles offshore. With 60–90 day endurance, aviation decks, and advanced command-and-control, they form the backbone of U.S. high-seas patrols.
U.S. Coast Guard – Offshore Patrol Cutters (Heritage-class): The Heritage-class OPCs are designed to bridge capability between NSCs and smaller Fast Response Cutters, with advanced sensors and long-range patrol capacity.
Japan Coast Guard – Large Multipurpose Vessels: The JCG is expanding its fleet with new 6,000-ton patrol vessels, including the Shunkō (PLH-42), to secure EEZ waters and respond to disasters.
Philippine Coast Guard – Teresa Magbanua-class (MRRV-97m): Japan is supplying the Philippines with five additional 97-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels by 2027, enhancing patrol, search-and-rescue, and environmental response capacity.
From America’s Legend-class cutters to Japan’s new super-patrols and the Philippines’ MRRVs, coast guard systems are scaling fast. They are the essential security layer of The Floating Economy — patrolling EEZs, escorting floating assets, and ensuring offshore resilience.
—TFI
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