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Subject: UK Coast Guard question
ChrisWI    1/22/2008 1:53:04 PM
Does the UK Coast Guard have any military or law enforcement functions or is it purely an unarmed search and rescue agency? Would their vessels be armed and their personnel issued firearms in wartime conditions?
 
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bob the brit       1/22/2008 2:48:47 PM

Does the UK Coast Guard have any military or law enforcement functions or is it purely an unarmed search and rescue agency?

Would their vessels be armed and their personnel issued firearms in wartime conditions?

The UK doesn't have a coast guard per say. Instead we have the cork jackets [Royal National Lifeboat Institution]. It is a publicly funded/charitable organisation aimed at saving lives at sea. The more governmental organisation is HMCG [Her majesty's coast guard], which I believe is part of the maritima and coastguard agency. However, their role is also limited to search and rescue and they are in no way employed to perform the tasks of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. And to add to this spagetti of confusion, UK military forces [navy, obviously] are the main 'protector' of the seas and take on the more overt 'conflicts' around the British Isles. The before mentioned organisations [RNLI and HMCG] are entirely non-law enforcement and are purely SAR and such. In the event of a war, I don't think they would be issued firearms, nor were they during the first and second world wars [someone correct me if i'm wrong]. However, the RNLI was very instrumental in the rescue of UK forces at Dunkirk, but then again, every man and his dog that had a boat was.
 
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Herald12345       1/22/2008 2:52:05 PM
Learned something new.

Thanks.

Herald

 
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neutralizer       1/23/2008 2:57:17 AM
Adding to that, in my understanding Fisheries Protection is done by the RN under contract to the appropriate civil department using dedicated and specialised ships.  Security N Sea oil facilities also handled by specialised units, and 'Military Aid to the Civil Community' (MACC) can be used when there is a need for a bit of heavy work at sea involving foreign ships of dodgy provenance and activity.  Having an armed coast guard is a waste of tax payer's money, more HQs more ranks sitting behind desks, etc, etc.
 
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interestedamateur       1/23/2008 11:47:39 AM
I believe the SBS with support from the rest of the RN has been used to board ships suspected of illegal or terrorist activities.
 
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bob the brit       1/23/2008 4:03:54 PM

Adding to that, in my understanding Fisheries Protection is done by the RN under contract to the appropriate civil department using dedicated and specialised ships.  Security N Sea oil facilities also handled by specialised units, and 'Military Aid to the Civil Community' (MACC) can be used when there is a need for a bit of heavy work at sea involving foreign ships of dodgy provenance and activity.  Having an armed coast guard is a waste of tax payer's money, more HQs more ranks sitting behind desks, etc, etc.


I remember the oil rigs being the responsibility of the commanchio group [another RM sub unit], however, I'm unsure if they are still operational or if they have been absorbed back into the Royal Marines. Perhaps someone could enlighten us [mough?]... life's terrible when you're left out the loop
 
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Jimme       2/8/2008 7:40:47 PM
Thats pretty interesting considering you guys are an island nation. I guess there isn't much of a smuggling problem in the UK.
 
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bob the brit       2/8/2008 8:39:01 PM

Thats pretty interesting considering you guys are an island nation. I guess there isn't much of a smuggling problem in the UK.

i believe there was always the odd drug problem [most often coming from the Netherlands across the channel] but i never recal it being on a large scale. the shakies hand a job here and there [fox trot five rings a bell] regarding the drug runners. as i mentioned, RN is tasked with coastal defence [sort of a historical thing if you think about it] as well as it's other roles. and to sum it up, i don't think the way things are run has ever caused trouble.
 
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flamingknives       2/9/2008 4:09:07 AM
When you start talking about smuggling - that's the preserve of HM Revenue and Customs, formerly Customs and Excise. Not only do they have cutters, they also have the most powers of any UK Law enforcement agency, and can call on the RN if necessary.
 
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