Huntington Ingalls Industries has been awarded a $94 million advance procurement contract for a tenth National Security Cutter.
The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 10, such as steel, the main propulsion systems, generators, electrical switchboards and major castings.
Ingalls has delivered six NSCs, the flagship of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s. Ingalls’ seventh NSC, Kimball (WMSL 756), is scheduled to be delivered to the Coast Guard later this year. Midgett (WMSL 757) is scheduled to start builder’s trials in the fourth quarter, and Stone (WMSL 758) is scheduled to launch this summer.
“National Security Cutters continue to be extremely important assets for the coastal defense of our homeland,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “These ships are enabling the Coast Guard’s missions in not only defending our shores, but also in the detection and interdiction of drugs and other contraband. Our shipbuilders in Mississippi look forward to continuing this hot production line and producing additional high-quality, state-of-the-art cutters for the men and women of the Coast Guard.”
The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. The cutter includes an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. This class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.
