USCGC Joseph Napier
USCGC Joseph Napier is a homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
She is the fifteenth Sentinel class to be delivered, and the third of six to be assigned to Puerto Rico. She was commissioned on 29 January 2016.
Like her sister ships, she is equipped for coastal security patrols, interdiction of drug and people smugglers, and search and rescue. Like the smaller she is equipped with a stern launching ramp. The ramp allows the deployment and retrieval of her high speed water-jet powered pursuit boat without first coming to a stop. She is capable of more than and armed with a remote controlled M242 Bushmaster autocannon; and four crew-served Browning M2 machine guns.
Operational history
Joseph Napier intercepted a fishing vessel in February 2017, that was attempting to smuggle over four tons of cocaine. Lady Michelles crew of four individuals from Guyana were taken to the U.S. Virgin Islands, for prosecution. The cocaine's street value was estimated at US$125 million.Namesake
She is named after Joseph Napier, who had commanded a lifeboat station at St. Joseph, Michigan.Napier was an employee of the United States Lifeboat Service, one of the precursor services that were amalgamated into the Coast Guard.