The Coast Guard's aging legacy fleet has been the focus of attention for years, with various plans to upgrade and replace cutters, some more than 40 years old.

The seriousness of the situation came into sharp focus during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, when the Coast Guard deployed at least a dozen ships to help in humanitarian relief operations. But many of those cutters—including the 1960s-era Resolute—were not even able to leave port because of mechanical breakdowns or equipment failures.

The incident was later labeled “a wakeup call” for the Coast Guard by the Government Accountability Office, because it demonstrated that “the Coast Guard’s legacy vessel fleet had been operating with a false sense of readiness.”

This gallery, based on records provided by the Coast Guard. shows the number of mechanical breakdowns has only increased over the past five years, and the new ships planned as replacements.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.