Aug. 19, 2025 —
A completion ceremony at Coast Guard Yard marked the conclusion of the 225-foot Juniper-class seagoing buoy tender major maintenance availability program. The event was aboard Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, the last cutter to have gone through the maintenance program. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Stephanie Hurley.
The Coast Guard In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) Program reached a significant milestone on July 29 with the completion of the major maintenance availability (MMA) program for the 225-foot Juniper-class seagoing buoy tender fleet.
Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock was the last of the service’s 16 seagoing buoy tenders to have completed the MMA, which executed hull and structural repairs, removed and replaced obsolete, unsupportable and maintenance-intensive equipment, and updated the machinery control system, propellers, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Hollyhock remains at Coast Guard Yard, where the MMA work was completed, so the ceremony marking completion of the seagoing buoy tender MMA program was held aboard the cutter.
The ISVS program restores mission readiness, improves reliability and reduces maintenance costs of the service’s legacy cutter fleet through two types of projects: major maintenance availabilities and service life extension programs. These programs offer the most cost-effective solution for delivering essential maintenance and upgrades, ensuring Coast Guard surface vessels meet or exceed their expected service life.
“This outstanding accomplishment highlights the Coast Guard’s commitment to delivering reliable, mission-ready vessels both efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Kenneth King, program manager for ISVS. “Completing these 16 major maintenance availabilities on time and under budget exemplifies the service’s strategic approach to recapitalization, ensuring greater operational availability, reduced lifecycle costs and enhanced readiness to meet the Coast Guard’s critical missions.”
Commissioned in the late 1990s, the Coast Guard’s fleet of 225-foot seagoing buoy tenders began undergoing MMA work in 2015 to ensure each cutter achieves its full 30-year designed service life.
The seagoing buoy tenders are a multi-mission platform, with their primary mission to service aids to navigation throughout U.S. waters and wherever American shipping interests require assistance. The Coast Guard’s history of maintaining a fleet of seagoing buoy tenders dates back to the U.S. Lighthouse Service, one of the predecessor agencies that comprise the modern-day Coast Guard.
For more information: In-Service Vessel Sustainment Program page