HII gets $97m long-lead contract for 11th US Coast Guard NSC

The US Coast Guard has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $97 million fixed-price contract to purchase long-lead materials for an 11th National Security Cutter (NSC).

The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 11, such as steel, the main propulsion systems, generators, electrical switchboards and major castings.

“Every National Security Cutter built at Ingalls Shipbuilding is an immediate and important defender of America’s shores when it joins the fleet,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding president Brian Cuccias. “This long-lead material award is critical to the efficient production of these platforms and to the health of our 422 suppliers in 40 states.”

Ingalls has delivered seven 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.

NSCs are 418 feet long with a 54-foot beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

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.