Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the ninth national security cutter, Stone (WMSL 758), to the U.S. Coast Guard.
As informed, documents signed on November 9 mark the official transfer of custody of the ship from HII to the USCG.
Stone is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard at the end of this year to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina.
“Ending the year with this significant achievement is a true testament to the perseverance of our shipbuilders. Stone is a powerful ship that will have great opportunities to demonstrate the value of its multi-mission capabilities for many years to come,” Brian Cuccias , Ingalls Shipbuilding President, commented.
In September this year, Stone successfully completed builder’s sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico.
NSC 9 is named to honor Coast Guard Commander Elmer “Archie” Fowler Stone, Coast Guard aviator number one, who made history in 1919 for being one of two Coast Guard pilots in the four-man air crew who completed the first trans-Atlantic flight in a Navy seaplane.
The Legend-class NSC is said to be the most technologically advanced ship in the USCG fleet, which enables it to meet the high demands required for maritime and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions.
NSCs are 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.