Vol. 64, No. 4 winter 2019 320


5. Reliance operating in the western Caribbean.


design and decorate all interior spaces, including all furniture, light fi xtures, pictures and frames, upholstery fabric, curtains, tiles, vinyl fl ooring, and all other materials and fi nishes in crew spaces.


Reliance was also the most advanced United States vessel of its day with an all welded steel hull and an aluminum superstructure to minimize top-heaviness. The Reliance-class was the fi rst fl eet of cutters designed with a fl ight deck for helicopter operations. To provide 360-degree bridge visibility and oversight of fl ight operations, the cutter’s designers redirected powerplant exhaust through stern pipes, thereby eliminating the need for a smokestack. However, the CODAG system proved ineffi cient, so Reliance and the next fi ve cutters in-class were re-engined with a twin diesel powerplant in the late 1980s. During this conversion, a smokestack was added, enlarging the superstructure and reducing the size of the helicopter pad.


The Coast Guard will soon build the “Heritage”-


Class of 360-foot offshore patrol cutters (OPCs). Reliance (WMSM-925) will be the eleventh in the fi rst fl ight of OPCs and the fi fth service vessel to bear this distinguished name. Reliance V and its OPC sister cutters will become the mainstay of the Coast Guard’s ocean-going fl eet fulfi lling the Service’s maritime security and safety missions. For more information on the OPCs, check the Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate’s Offshore Patrol Cutters web page at https://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg9/opc/ features.asp.


In its fi fty years of service to the nation, Reliance has received countless honors.


These awards


include numerous service commendations, medals, and special operations ribbons. Firmly rooted in its long list of accomplishments, the history of its distinguished predecessor vessels and its revolutionary design, Reliance continues to live up to its motto of “First in the Fleet.”


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