USCG’s 9th national security cutter sails away from shipyard

The US Coast Guard’s newest Legend-class national security cutter, Stone (WMSL 758), departed from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on 22 December, sailing to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina.

“I cannot think of a better ending to 2020 than seeing the look of pride on the faces of our shipbuilders as Stone sails away from our shipyard to join the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet,” Brian Cuccias, Ingalls Shipbuilding President, said.

In November 2020, the newbuild was officially delivered to the coast guard after successfully completing builder’s trials.

Stone will be commissioned in early 2021 in Charleston, which is also home to cutters Hamilton (WMSL 753) and James (WMSL 754).

Ingalls is in charge of the Legend-class NSC program and has delivered nine cutters with one more under construction and one additional under contract. 

Stone 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 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.