BUSAN, Republic of Korea — The Legend-class US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) departed Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK) after a multi-day port visit, concluding maritime engagements that reinforced the United States’ alliance with ROK and strengthened a trilateral partnership with Japan to promote a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, June 1.
Stratton hosted Republic of Korea Coast Guard (KCG) leaders for tours of the ship, where both parties discussed collaborative solutions to regional maritime challenges.
“The United States, Korea, and Japan have an unshakeable trilateral partnership which promotes the safety, security and prosperity of the three countries and the wider Indo-Pacific region,” said Capt. Brian Krautler, Stratton’s commanding officer. “For seven decades, the US-ROK alliance has been a protector of peace and provider of security in the region as we face complex maritime challenges together. This is Stratton’s second visit to ROK during my two years aboard, demonstrating our consistent commitment to our alliance and our shared goal of greater interoperability. Stratton was proud to operate with the KCG and Japan Coast Guard on behalf of the US Coast Guard.”
KCG hosted Stratton crewmembers for a variety of events, including a search-and-rescue tabletop exercise, tours of cutters and facilities, and dinner receptions. These reciprocal engagements underscored the strong bond that forms the foundation of US-ROK maritime cooperation.
Subject matter expert exchanges between the three services focused on enhancing cooperation for maritime incident response between the three nations. This was the second trilateral exercise following the first such engagement near Maizuru, Japan, in June 2024. The exercises followed the signing of a letter of intent among the Coast Guard agencies of the three countries that year.
The US Coast Guard’s commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific requires close collaboration with regional allies, enhancing the service’s logistics flexibility and ability to deliver a broad range of capabilities. National security cutters routinely operate throughout the Pacific, utilizing their range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather to execute vital strategic missions.
During the patrol, Stratton is scheduled to engage with regional partners and participate in joint operations aimed at enhancing maritime safety and security. Throughout its Indo-Pacific deployment, Stratton is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the US 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. DESRON 15 regularly assumes tactical control of surface units operating in the area.
Commissioned in 2012, Stratton is one of ten Legend-class national security cutters and one of four homeported in Alameda, Calif. National security cutters are 418 feet long, 54 feet wide and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles and can hold a crew of up to 170. National security cutters routinely conduct operations throughout the Pacific, where their combination of range, speed and ability to operate in extreme weather provides mission flexibility.
The namesake of US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton is Capt. Dorothy Stratton, who led the service’s all-female reserve force during World War II. Dorothy Stratton was the first female commissioned officer in the Coast Guard and commanded more than 10,000 personnel. The ship’s motto is “We can’t afford not to.”
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