The USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720) was a Hamilton-class high endurance cutter constructed by Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its keel was laid on January 25, 1967, and it was launched on September 3, 1968. Designed for extended ocean patrols, Sherman was originally homeported in Boston, Massachusetts, where its primary mission was ocean station patrol in the North Atlantic. Sherman's service history includes notable deployments and missions. During the Vietnam War in 1970, it was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three, supporting Operation Market Time by inspecting approximately 900 vessels off the Vietnamese coast and providing naval gunfire support, including sinking the North Vietnamese armed freighter SL-3 in a night engagement. After returning to Boston in 1971, the ship shifted focus toward drug interdiction efforts, culminating in the seizure of 82 tons of marijuana from the Panamanian freighter Don Emilio in 1976, the largest drug seizure at the time. In 1979, Sherman was transferred to Alameda, California, where its primary missions included fisheries law enforcement, drug interdiction, search and rescue, and military readiness in Alaskan waters, particularly in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. The vessel underwent a major Fleet Renovation and Modernization (FRAM) from 1986 to 1989 at Todd Shipyard in Seattle, upgrading its weapons, communications, aviation systems, and crew accommodations. After upgrades, Sherman resumed operations in the Pacific in 1990. Sherman made history in 2001 as the first U.S. Coast Guard cutter to circumnavigate the world, conducting sanctions enforcement in the Persian Gulf and participating in goodwill missions in Madagascar, South Africa, and Cape Verde. Its operational highlights include significant drug interdictions, notably a record seizure of over 17 metric tons of cocaine in 2007. Decommissioned in March 2018, Sherman was transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy and recommissioned in June 2019 as SLNS Gajabahu (P626). The vessel retains its 76 mm Otobreda gun and MK 92 Fire Control System, with modifications including a rear-mounted dual 23mm cannon replacing the Phalanx CIWS. SLNS Gajabahu played a role in evacuating President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the 2022 protests and continues to serve in various operational capacities, including deployment during regional exercises and crises, highlighting its enduring maritime significance.

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