The Coast Guard said on the week of Aug. 31 its National Security Cutter (NSC) Waesche has completed ship qualification trials of an upgraded combat system, demonstrating its ability to operate its newest technology in a combat environment.
The successful testing means the Coast Guard’s C4ISR acquisition program can proceed with installation of the combat system as the new baseline for the NSC class of ships.
The testing of the Combat System Ship Qualification Trials was completed at the Naval Air Warfare Center Point Magu, Calif., in August. The upgraded electronics for the Waesche were installed on July and include gun weapon system integration.
The testing included air tracking of F-18 fighter aircraft and business jets, a Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter, and one of the NSC’s cutter boats. It concluded with live-fire events using the gun weapon system to engage targets at different ranges, including high-speed maneuvering surface targets. The Waesche’s tactical data link system was also tested with a United States Navy vessel the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Howard (DDG-83).
The Coast Guard is acquiring eight NSCs.