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You might remember that the Coast Guard’s 25-year, $25 billion modernization program, Deepwater, has had a lot of problems. Eight ships that contractors tried to extend from 110 feet to 123 feet ended up completely unusable, for example. But the Coast Guard plowed ahead with the construction of eight 418-foot “National Security Cutters” that are set to be the crown jewels of the service’s revamped fleet. Last week, the Coast Guard kicked off construction of the Stratton, the third NSC, engraving the initials M.O. into the ship’s keel in honor of Michelle Obama. But critics of the new ships maintain that their communications systems are likely vulnerable to interception, and Deepwater still faces a lot of problems. Read all about it here.
