Ex-US Coast Guard Cutter Heads to Sri Lanka, Launching Record-Breaking Transoceanic Transit
The former United States Coast Guard cutter Decisive has departed Baltimore, Maryland, for Sri Lanka, marking the beginning of a historic 14,775-nautical-mile journey that will become the longest distance voyage ever undertaken by the Sri Lankan Navy and its first transit of the Panama Canal.
Now sailing under the pennant number P 628, the vessel left Baltimore on February 21 and is expected to complete the 77-day voyage before arriving in Sri Lanka tentatively on May 8. The cutter was officially transferred to Sri Lanka on December 2, 2025, under the United States’ Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program.
With the addition of Decisive, the Sri Lanka Navy now operates four former U.S. Coast Guard cutters, making it the largest operator of U.S. EDA-transferred cutters globally.
A 55-Year Service Record
The cutter’s keel was laid on May 12, 1967, at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, and she was launched on December 14, 1967. Commissioned on August 23, 1968, Decisive served for 55 years before being decommissioned on March 1, 2023.
Built as the 15th vessel in the 16-ship Reliance-class Medium Endurance Cutter series, the 210-foot (64-meter) cutter was designed for a crew of 100 and had an operational range of up to 6,000 nautical miles.
Throughout her distinguished career, Decisive carried out numerous high-profile missions. She rescued crewmembers of the Canadian sailing vessel Toberua during severe weather conditions with 40-foot seas and 60-knot winds. The cutter also executed the first seizure of a Soviet trawler for violating the newly established 200-mile marine resource zone.
Her operational history includes extensive patrols off Florida focused on drug interdiction and migrant operations. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Decisive assumed tactical command of the Mississippi Coastal Recovery Base Gulfport, coordinating Coast Guard units in the region. She later played a significant role in responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest oil disaster in U.S. history.
Strengthening Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean
Sri Lanka deployed a crew of 86 naval personnel, including 14 officers and 72 sailors , to Baltimore to prepare the vessel for her transition. During the record-setting voyage, the cutter will make goodwill port calls before reaching Sri Lanka.
Once commissioned into active service, the vessel will enhance Sri Lanka’s maritime surveillance capabilities and strengthen counter-narcotics and anti-smuggling operations. She will also support search and rescue missions across the Indian Ocean region.
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka described the donation as a reflection of strong bilateral ties, stating that the cutter will continue her productive service life while contributing to maritime security in the Indian Ocean.
