U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro completes 112-day Arctic patrol

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro has returned to its homeport in Alameda, California, following a 112-day deployment across the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Covering more than 23,000 nautical miles, the mission focused on securing northern maritime approaches and enforcing U.S. fisheries laws.

As part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, the crew monitored three Chinese-flagged research vessels operating near U.S. Arctic waters. This included tracking the Xue Long and Xue Long 2 in July as they transited the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and extended continental shelf. While international law permits transit, marine scientific research in these areas requires prior U.S. authorization.

The patrol also emphasized international cooperation through joint exercises with the Royal Canadian Navy. Additionally, the cutter participated in Operation Tundra Merlin, a strategic defense operation involving U.S. and Canadian military assets designed to test command-and-control systems and response readiness in northern maritime corridors.