ALAMEDA, Calif. – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, the Coast Guard’s first Legend-class cutter, returned to their homeport in Alameda yesterday, after a successful eight-week underway period.
The crew conducted trials of the ship’s weapons system, full power trials of the propulsion system, and performed the first fueling at sea and towing exercises ever done onboard a Legend-class cutter.
The Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) tested the ship’s weapon systems’ ability to engage surface and aerial targets, as well as delivering warning shots and disabling fire on target vessels. This is an important step for Bertholf to be fully ready for the Coast Guard’s many missions and long term deployments overseas. During the testing, Bertholf’s crew worked with a Coast Guard testing team based in Port Hueneme and Navy testing contractors to put the ship’s 57mm gun, Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), and associated electronic and communication systems to the test.
Below are four videos by PA3 Henry G. Dunphy from the trials.
Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF’s 57mm deck gun fires during Combat System Ship Qualification Trials Feb. 27, 2009.
The Close In Weapon System (CIWS) onboard Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF fires during Combat System Ship Qualification Trials.
A high-speed maneuvering target is fired upon by Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF’s Close In Weapon System
Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF’s 57mm deck gun is fired during Combat System Ship Qualification Trials
