The Heritage-class programme turns procurement numbers into an availability problem. Coast Guard recapitalisation normally moves from large cutters to medium and then small ones, which keeps at least one part of the fleet relatively stable. A planned force of 23 to 25 Heritage-class ships may replace as many as 29 older cutters, and the headline difference understates the operational effect. At any moment, some hulls will be in refit, replenishing, or in transit rather than on station. That arithmetic matters across the enormous American and allied exclusive economic zones, where cutters protect fisheries and natural resources and act against dumping and other infringements. Information about a violation cannot enforce a decision by itself, so even a modest reduction in hull numbers can produce a larger loss of physical presence.
Chapter · 40:22-44:12
Heritage-class numbers and the ships actually on station
Replacing up to 29 older cutters with 23 to 25 Heritage-class ships can create a much larger operational shortfall once refit, replenishment, and transit are counted.