The USCGC Mellon was laid down in 1966 in New Orleans, launched in 1967, and commissioned in 1968. She was named after Andrew Mellon, the 49th Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932. The Mellon is a high endurance cutter designed to remain at sea for extended periods to perform missions like search and rescue, law enforcement, and national security. She was among the first vessels to use a combination of diesel and gas turbine propulsion, with the ability to travel at 17 knots using diesel or 28 knots using gas turbines.

1. USCGC Mellon History Page 1 Page 1 of 1
History
USCGC MELLON's keel was laid on July 25,
1966 at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans,
LA. CGC MELLON was launched on
February 11, 1967 and was commissioned on
January 9, 1968. She was named after
Andrew W. Mellon 49th Secretary of the
Treasury from 1921-1932. MELLON is the
third in her class of seven high endurance
cutters built by Avondale Shipyards. She was
sponsored on her commissioning date by Mrs.
John W. Warner Jr. granddaughter ofthe late
Secretary Andrew W. Mellon.
USCGC MELLON launching the Harpoon
missile in January 1990. CGC MELLON was
designed to perform each of the Coast
Guard's missions, which then included search and rescue, defense operations, law enforcement,
environmental protection and oceanographic research. She was built with a welded steel hull and
aluminum superstructure. CGC MELLON was one of the first naval vessels built with a combined
diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant. The twin screws can use 7,000 diesel shaft horsepower to
make 17 knots, and a total of36,000 gas turbine shaft horsepower to make 28 knots. The diesel
engines are Fairbanks-Morse and are larger versions of a 1968 diesel locomotive design. Her Pratt-
Whitney marine gas turbine engines are similar to those installed in Boeing 707 passenger jet aircraft.
It is worth noting that CGC MELLON was among the first American vessels to use jet aircraft-type
turbines for propulsion.
CGC MELLON was classified as a "high endurance cutter," one which was designed to remain at sea
for extended periods of time to undertake mid-ocean search and rescue operations and to conduct law
enforcement and national security missions. The 2748-ton cutter's crossing range is 10,000 miles at
20 knots. This is approximately the distance from New York to Melbourne, Australia -.CGC
MELLON was originally built with an 80-foot long flight deck and "balloon shelter." CGC
MELLON was one of the newer ships of her class to have a joystick helm. The previous High
Endurance Cutters were equipped with standard ship's wheels as helms. She was also equipped with
extensive anti-submarine warfare equipment, including the Mk46 torpedo and the AN/SQS-26 sonar.
In January 1990, MELLON was first in her class to fire the Harpoon missile. The ASW and Harpoon
launching systems were later removed due to budget constraints.
http://www.uscg.mil/pacareal cgcMellonihistory .asp 12129/2008