Russia and United States Conduct Joint Protection Patrol
Story and photos by CGC Jarvis 
Lt. Chad Brick explains Jarvis' ship controls to
foreign officers while conducting joint operations
in the northwest Pacific Ocean. From left to right:
Rodger Bolles (CG Auxiliary), Insp. Baek
(Korean CG), Lt. Chad Brick, Cpt LT Arkhipov
(Vorovsky), Mr. Wang (FLEC), LCDR Lapkasov
(Vorovsky)
July 2 at 10 a.m. was the designated rendezvous time in the isolated Western Pacific about 450 miles southwest of Alaska's Aleutian Island chain and 250 miles east of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Transiting through thick fog common to the region, CGC Jarvis approached the Russian Northeast Border Directorate vessel Vorovsky in preparation for the first joint security exercise of the North Pacific Heads of Coast Guard Agencies (NPHCGA); Canada, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
Coming out of the fog at a half-mile, the Vorovsky took station near Jarvis while Jarvis' small boat transported a visiting team of officers to plan the upcoming two days of joint operations and officer exchanges.
This was not Jarvis' first time operating with the Federal Russian Border Service or the vessel Vorovsky. During Jarvis' Alaska Patrol of Spring 2004, the Vorovsky worked alongside Jarvis conducting exercises related to issues common to the Bering Sea/Russia border.
This exercise is the fourth of a five phase joint operation throughout the Western Pacific with NPHCGA partners. In the first
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| Lt. Chad Brick, landing signals officer aboard CGC JARVIS,briefs two Russian Border Directorate Officers on US Coast Guard night vision flight operations and search tactics with the help of a CG Auxiliarist interpreter. |
These joint international security exercises are the cornerstone for the development of a Pacific Maritime Security Regime. Jarvis' assignment is to execute U.S. Coast Guard missions and U.S. enforcement obligations on the high seas in conjunction with NPHCGA partners, in bilateral and multilateral settings. Cooperative enforcement of the U.N. Convention against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activity will be used as the model for broader security operations.
The NPHCGA's main focus is to safeguard international maritime commerce, enhance maritime domain awareness, deter human smuggling, prevent contraband
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| Ensign Jason Moritz, Mr. Rodger Bolles (CG Auxiliary), Captain Fedurin (Commanding Officer), Lt. Benjamin Janczyk, and Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Brown aboard the NBD vessel VOROVSKY at rendesvouz with CGC JARVIS in the northwest Pacific. |
On the first day of joint operations, Vorovsky hosted Ensign Jason Moritz and Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Brown to share ideas and talents. In return, two Russian Border Service Officers, Major Lapkasov and Capt. Arkhipov, came aboard Jarvis to observe operations, discuss U.S. Coast Guard missions and learn what day-to-day operations are like on a 378' cutter while on patrol. From flight operations to tactical planning, the officer exchange program provided the groundwork for the next two days of combined patrol efforts.
By working together over the next few days, Vorovsky and Jarvis will increase their radar scanning ability, establish tactical security protocols, and combine flight patterns to cover more territory in search of illegal activity along the shared Russian/U.S. maritime border. With this show of force in the far western Pacific region of the Aleutian Island chain, this joint patrol demonstrates the resolve of both nations to combat illegal activity on the high seas and to continually improve international maritime security operations.
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