| NNS Okpabana | |
|---|---|
 USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721) | |
| Career (United States) |  |
| Name: | USCGC Gallatin |
| Namesake: | Albert Gallatin |
| Builder: | Avondale Shipyards |
| Laid down: | 17 April 1967 |
| Commissioned: | 20 December 1968 |
| Decommissioned: | 31 March 2014 |
| Homeport: | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Motto: | Virtus Cum Ingenio |
| Fate: | Transferred to Nigerian Navy |
| Status: | Decommissioned |
| Badge: |
|
| Career (Nigeria) |  |
| Name: | NNS Okpabana |
| Owner: | Nigerian Navy |
| Status: | Awaiting commissioning |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,250 tons |
| Length: | 378 ft (115 m) |
| Beam: | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Draught: | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion: |
CODOG: 2 × FM diesel engines 2 × PW gas turbines 2 × controllable pitch propellers |
| Speed: | 29 knots (53.7 km/h) |
| Range: | 14,000 miles (22,530 km) |
| Endurance: | 45 days |
| Complement: | 167 personnel |
| Sensors and processing systems: | AN/SPS-40 air-search radar |
| Armament: | Otobreda 76 mm, Phalanx CIWS |
NNS Okpabana is a Hamilton-class high endurance cutter which formerly served with the U.S. Coast Guard as USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721). Built at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana, Gallatin was named for Albert Gallatin, the fourth and longest serving United States Secretary of the Treasury. Gallatin completed its final patrol 11 December 2013 and will be decommissioned in 2014 before being transferred to the Nigerian Navy.[1]
Construction[]
Gallantin was laid down at Avondale Shipyards on 17 April 1967, as the seventh ship of her class. She was launched on 18 November 1967 and was commissioned on 20 December 1968.[2]
Design[]
The ship is designed as a high endurance cutter. Her crossing range of 9,600 nautical miles (17,800 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)), and an 80-foot (24 m) flight deck, capable of handling helicopters, make the ship an ideal platform for extended patrol missions. Gallantin was one of the first naval vessels built with a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant. Her engineering plant includes two 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) diesel engines, and two 18,000 horsepower (13,000 kW) gas turbines, which can achieve a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h). Two 13-foot (3.96 m) diameter controllable pitch propellers, combined with a retractable and rotatable bow propulsion unit, give the ship high maneuverability.
The ship's capabilities are enhanced by advanced air search and surface search radars including the AN/SPS-73 digital surface radar system that incorporates a state of the art computerized collision avoidance system. She uses the Shipboard Command and Control System (SCCS) which uses a network of computers including large screen displays and a dedicated satellite network for communications. A closed circuit TV system enable's the Commanding Officer to monitor flight deck operations, machinery conditions, towing, damage control, and related activities from the bridge.
History[]
Gallatin's missions included enforcement of all U.S. maritime laws and treaties, fisheries conservation, marine pollution response, defense readiness, and search and rescue. Gallantin served with the United States Coast Guard until March 31, 2014, when she was decommissioned. On May 7, She was transferred to the Nigerian Navy and renamed Okpabana.[3]
Photos[]
References[]
- ↑ Smith, Bruce (11 December 2013). "Coast Guard cutter returns from final patrol". http://www.charleston.af.mil/news/sthttp://www.navytimes.com/article/20131211/NEWS03/312110021/Coast-Guard-cutter-Gallitan-returns-from-final-patrolory.asp?id=123374545. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Polmar, Norman (1981). The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet (Twelfth ed.). London: Arms and Armour Press. p. 368.. ISBN 0-85368-397-2.
- ↑ "USCG Hands Over Decommissioned Cutter to Nigerian Navy". World Maritime News. http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/123228/uscg-hands-over-decommissioned-cutter-to-nigerian-navy/. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721). |
- "Gallatin home page" U.S. Coast Guard, 30 August 2008
- "History of the Gallatin" U.S. Coast Guard, 9 September 2008
| |||||||||||||||||
The original article can be found at NNS Okpabana and the edit history here.