Austal USA has started construction on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) at its Mobile, Alabama, ship manufacturing facility.
The vessel, named Pickering (WSMM 919), is the first OPC being built under a contract that includes up to 11 cutters and has a potential value of $3.3 billion.
According to Austal USA, the OPC program will recapitalize the Coast Guard’s aging medium endurance cutters and provide a capability bridge between the service’s national security cutters, which operate in the open ocean, and the fast response cutters, which operate closer to shore.
The company claimed that the OPC will support the national security strategy for maintaining the nation’s economic, social, environmental and military security mission areas. It will typically conduct its primary missions beyond 12 nautical miles from shore and will be employed anywhere the national interests require the Coast Guard’s blend of authorities and capabilities.
“OPCs meet the service’s long-term need for cutters capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups to conduct law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security and defense missions,” Austal USA noted, revealing that OPCs will provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence conducting a variety of missions, including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, as well as search and rescue.
“With a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period, each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups, serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska,” Austal USA added.
Dave Growden, Vice President of new construction programs at Austal USA, commented: “Austal USA is excited to begin construction on the first of these high priority cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. This contract exemplifies the flexibility of our workforce and importance of our steel panel line to Austal USA’s future success. Our multi-talented shipbuilders are well prepared to demonstrate their capability to produce the same high-quality steel ship as they have been producing for our aluminum programs.”
To note, through capital investments, Austal USA has expanded its capability and capacity to enable concurrent production of aluminum and steel ships. In 2024, the company broke ground on a new assembly building which will provide 192,000 square feet of new covered manufacturing space. The building will consist of three bays, two of which will be sized specifically to erect the OPC.