Coast Guard

The Coast Guard is the maritime security service of any nation, although some countries have more wide-ranging roles and responsibilities than others. Some, like the U.S. Coast Guard, are heavily armed military forces with the additional burden of search and rescue and law enforcement. Others are just the latter and are not equipped for any kind of military encounter. In most countries, the navy and the coast guard are entirely separate in their equipment, purpose, and responsibilities. The UK Coast Guard, for example, only has access to small boats (that it doesn’t own) and helicopters for search and rescue, with the navy, instead tasked with the defence of the homeland and the Border Force having responsibility for law enforcement and border protection.

The smallest vessels in the possession of any coast guard are usually tiny patrol craft. The largest can vary depending on the purpose of the coast guard but can be larger offshore patrol vessels or cutters in the case of the U.S. Navy. Most naval powers in the world operate a coast guard in one form or another, although as mentioned, the strength and responsibilities of these coastguards can vary dramatically. Not all coast guard vessels are technically warships, but the majority of even unarmed vessels will be included here for completeness.