SUBJ: USCGC BERTHOLF FINAL ACCEPTANCE
1. THE COAST GUARD EXECUTED FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE FIRST
NATIONAL SECURITY CUTTER, USCGC BERTHOLF (WMSL 750), TODAY
AT COAST GUARD ISLAND, ALAMEDA, CALIF. FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF
BERTHOLF IS PART OF THE COAST GUARDS DELIBERATE ACQUISITION
PROCESS. THIS MARKS THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT BERTHOLF IS READY TO BE TRANSITIONED
FROM THE ACQUISITION TO THE SUSTAINMENT COMMUNITY AS
ESTABLISHED BY THE COAST GUARDS INTERIM SUPPORT PLAN.
2. IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITYS ACQUISITION AUTHORITY, THE CONTRACTING
OFFICER ACCEPTED BERTHOLF FROM THE SHIPBUILDER AFTER
REVIEWING AND ADJUDICATING ALL CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS.
THE RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT BERTHOLF WAS MADE BY THE
VICE COMMANDANT, BASED ON INPUT FROM A COAST GUARD
EXECUTIVE BOARD CONSISTING OF SENIOR LEADERS FROM THE
ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE, THE CAPABILITIES DIRECTORATE, THE
OPERATIONAL COMMANDER AND THE COAST GUARDS TECHNICAL
AUTHORITIES, COMDT (CG-1), COMDT (CG-4) AND COMDT (CG-6).
3. FOLLOWING PRELIMINARY ACCEPTANCE A YEAR AGO, BERTHOLF
HAS SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED NUMERIOUS MILESTONES INCLUDING A
READY FOR SEA EVALUATION, HOMEPORT TRANSIT THROUGH THE
PANAMA CANAL, COMMISSIONING, FLIGHT DECK CERTIFICATION AND
AIRCRAFT DYNAMIC INTERFACE TRIALS, UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS
TESTING, COMBAT SYSTEMS QUALIFICATIONS AS WELL AS
INFORMATION ASSURANCE AND TEMPEST TESTING. CURRENTLY,
BERTHOLF CONTINUES TO EXECUTE THE SCHEDULED POST DELIVERY
PLAN, INCLUDING MISSION SYSTEMS AND WEAPONS TESTING,
FOLLOW ON MANPOWER AND TRAINING ANALYSES AND
INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AND SENSOR
EQUIPMENT.
4. FOLLOWING THE DECISION BY THE COAST GUARD TO SUPPORT
BERTHOLF FROM WITHIN THE COAST GUARD, THE SUSTAINMENT
COMMUNITY ESTABLISHED THE NSC PRODUCT LINE TO PROVIDE
INTERIM SUPPORT TO BERTHOLF CONSISTENT WITH COAST GUARD
MODERNIZATION EFFORTS.
5. FINAL ACCEPTANCE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE MADE
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF NUMEROUS
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS, AND SPECIFICALLY, THE
CREW OF BERTHOLF. WE RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT
PROVIDED BY THE U.S. NAVY SUPERVISOR OF SHIPBUILDING,
CONVERSION AND REPAIR, GULF COAST (SUPSHIP), NAVAL SEA
SYSTEMS COMMAND (NAVSEA), SPACE AND NAVAL WARFARE
SYSTEMS COMMAND (SPAWAR), NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND
(NAVAIR), PRESIDENT, BOARD OF INSPECTION AND SURVEY (INSURV),
AND COMMANDER OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION FORCE
(COMOPTEVFOR) AS WELL AS THE EFFORTS OF OUR SHIPBUILDING
PARTNERS INVOLVED IN BRINGING THE NSC PROJECT TO FINAL
ACCEPTANCE OF THE INITIAL FLAGSHIP CUTTER.
6. MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY CUTTER PROJECT
IS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/ACQUISITION/NSC
7. RADM GARY T. BLORE, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR ACQUISITION,
SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.