USCGC Albacore
The USCGC Albacore was formerly a United States Coast Guard cutter of its smallest class - the 87 foot Marine Protector class.
The Albacore and two sister ships, the USCGC Cochito and USCGC GannetUSCGC ''Gannet'' were turned over to the Uruguayan Navy on December 15, 2021.[1] Naval Today reported Uruguay would receive the vessels through a "no-cost grant".[2] However, they would be expected to pay for refurbishing the aging vessels, and for crew-training. They noted the vessels initially cost almost $15 million, that they were currently valued at just less than $9 million. Uruguay's payment for both refurbishing the vessels, and for crew-training, will be $4.9
These vessels were designed to be operated by a crew of ten, and were lightly armed, mounting only two Browning fifty caliber machine guns. The were, however, equipped with a stern launching ramp, that enabled them to deploy or retrieve a jet-powered pursuit boat, without first coming to a halt.
References
- ↑ "US Coast Guard To Hand Over 87-foot Protector-Class Boats to Uruguay Navy". Military Leak. 2022-02-13. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20220217131751/https://militaryleak.com/2022/02/13/us-coast-guard-to-hand-over-87-foot-protector-class-boats-to-uruguay-navy/. Retrieved 2022-03-03. "Uruguay was selected to receive former Coast Guard Cutters Albacore, Cochito, and Gannet by the Navy International Programs Office and signed a $5 million Letter of Offer and Acceptance Dec. 15, 2021"
