UK Coast Guard

abc123

Banned
OK, how can we have radically different Coast Guard in UK? Something along the USA lines?
Large patrol ships, patrol and SAR aircrafts and helicopters etc.
Also, task of patrol in UK overseas possesions is primarly on Coast Guard, not on RN.
 

sharlin

Banned
The UK's already got SAR helos, but due to the size of the country, a force on the sheer scale of the USCG would be overkill.
 

Tovarich

Banned
Well, there is already an HM Coast Guard, which works in conjunction with the RN, RAF, RNLI, Customs & Excise, Police, etc, to perform a variety of functions.
I suppose you could carve off chunks of those other services and just re-name it as 'Coast Guard', but what's the point?
That'd only make it easier for current HMG to hawk the service out to the 'private-sector', at 10Xcost for 1/10 provision!
 
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Having a separate set of Coastguard ships would be pointless, since naval ships are so close and available. The US is quite different, the area to look after is much bigger.
 

abc123

Banned
The UK's already got SAR helos, but due to the size of the country, a force on the sheer scale of the USCG would be overkill.

Of course nobody meant that UK needs force equally large like USCG, but force with equall capabilities, with own rescue helos, own patrol aircrafts, patrol ships etc. large enough to cover for UK zone of responcibility in Europe and in other areas in world ( overseas territories ).
 
Ha - you've been reading what I wrote on the British technology thread, havn't you?

It's difficult to get Britain to have a coastguard - the strength and availability of the Royal Navy has always precluded it.

Nevertheless, maybe you could work out a POD around something like the Cod wars. Perhaps a frakar between a Royal Navy ship and an Icelandic coast guard vessel goes wrong. The RN ship accidentally rams the icelandic ship too hard causing it to sink, taking several crew members with it. Several days later photographs of the incident showing a large British warship sinking a small civilian fishers protection vessel cause outrage. In response, the government decide to hand over fisheries protection to an expanded coast guard. Over time the coast guard expands to include ocean tuboats for emergency tow and ships for customs and border patrol. SAR heclicopters might also be a possability.

Russell
 
Such an independent organisation may make sense for the US, since they have both the resources and responsibilities appropriate for it. It makes a lot less sense for smaller countries, since they can't afford to have the duplication of effort inherent in such a system. If the RAF is going to be running maritime surveillance flights anyway, for example, the logic of having another organisation operating it's own aircraft in the same role is less clear.
The role of the coast guard is effectively being split between other groups which would be required even if there was an organisation on the scale you describe. Just because there isn't an independent entity like the US has doesn't mean the same jobs aren't being done, it's just that other groups are doing them.

If all you want is the name coast guard attached to something flying a Union Jack, as Tovarich pointed out that already exists.
 

abc123

Banned
Ha - you've been reading what I wrote on the British technology thread, havn't you?

It's difficult to get Britain to have a coastguard - the strength and availability of the Royal Navy has always precluded it.

Nevertheless, maybe you could work out a POD around something like the Cod wars. Perhaps a frakar between a Royal Navy ship and an Icelandic coast guard vessel goes wrong. The RN ship accidentally rams the icelandic ship too hard causing it to sink, taking several crew members with it. Several days later photographs of the incident showing a large British warship sinking a small civilian fishers protection vessel cause outrage. In response, the government decide to hand over fisheries protection to an expanded coast guard. Over time the coast guard expands to include ocean tuboats for emergency tow and ships for customs and border patrol. SAR heclicopters might also be a possability.

Russell

Bolded: Yes I did. :eek:
But UK Coast Guard is my old idea...

Hmm, yes, perhaps something like that could work as POD.

I even thinking patrol aircrafts for UKCG like CASA CN-235 MPA and SAR flying boats like ShinMaywa US-2.
:cool:
300px-HC-144A_Ocean_Sentry_%282%29.jpg


or maybe more modern version of this

Short_Sunderland_2_ExCC.jpg
 

abc123

Banned
Just because there isn't an independent entity like the US has doesn't mean the same jobs aren't being done, it's just that other groups are doing them.

If all you want is the name coast guard attached to something flying a Union Jack, as Tovarich pointed out that already exists.

I know that. I live in country like that where no unified Coast guard exists, and sincerely that solution sucks. Disaster waiting to happen. OK, I agree, better organisation could sort some of problems, but it would be easier to make one comprenhensive service that will do such tasks, and I don't really see much duplication there.
 

abc123

Banned
I wonder why HM Coastguard didn't bought some british helicopter like Merlin, or Sikorsky was much cheaper?
 
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