The USS Tacoma (PGM-92) was an Asheville-class gunboat built by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company in her namesake city, with her keel laid on July 24, 1967. Launched on April 13, 1968, and commissioned on July 14, 1969, she represented a revised iteration within the Asheville-class series, often referred to as the Tacoma- or PG-92-class. The vessel featured a distinctive propulsion system combining two Cummins Diesel engines with a General Electric LM-1500 Gas Turbine, allowing swift switching between power sources via pneumatic actuators. Her controllable reversible pitch (CRP) propellers enabled rapid stops from top speeds exceeding 42 knots, making her a highly agile vessel. Initially armed with a 40mm cannon aft, Tacoma was later re-fitted with a 20mm gun for training purposes. Additional armament included dual .50 caliber machine gun mounts on the O-1 level and twin M-60 machine guns on the O-2 level, with options to replace these with Mk 19 grenade launchers. Tacoma’s service history included extensive operations along the California coast during her shakedown and refresher training in late 1969. Her operational deployment to the western Pacific began in August 1970, with her home port established at Apra Harbor, Guam. During her nearly four years in Southeast Asia, Tacoma participated in Vietnamese Coastal Surveillance Force operations, including search and rescue missions and interdiction of North Vietnamese supply routes during Operation Market Time. She earned two battle stars for her Vietnam War service. In addition to her combat patrols, Tacoma conducted patrols in the Trust Territories of Micronesia, making goodwill stops and apprehending violations of territorial waters. She also participated in exercises, port visits, and surveillance missions in regions including Hong Kong, Thailand, Borneo, and the northern Marianas. After returning to the United States in 1974, Tacoma continued operations, including joint exercises with other U.S. Navy ships and visits to foreign ports. She was decommissioned on September 30, 1981, at Little Creek, Virginia. Subsequently, she was leased to the Colombian Navy in 1983, transferred officially in 1995, and later became part of Colombia’s Customs agency fleet, marking her maritime significance as a versatile, fast attack vessel with a notable operational record spanning combat, patrol, and training missions.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.