The U.S. Coast Guard is reissuing documentation to U.S. Army watercraft which formally recognizes them as 'vessels of war.'
Following discussions with the Coast Guard, the Army has decided to reclassify select watercraft such as their larger landing craft, from ‘public vessels’ to ‘vessels of war’ under international law and recognized international conventions. The designation is codified through the issuance of a vessel’s Tonnage Certificate issued by the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, and is presented upon arrival in foreign ports as official documentation of the vessel’s U.S. Registry. The Army reclassifying these vessels indicates a step toward solidifying sovereign immunity of our military assets around the globe, and recognition of our maritime forces while engaged in national security as well as humanitarian operations overseas.
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