USCG receives fifth National Security Cutter from Ingalls Shipbuilding

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has taken delivery of the fifth National Security Cutter (NSC), James (WMSL 754) from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division.

The vessel will set sail in mid-July to reach its commissioning site in Boston, US, on 8 August.

Ingalls NSC programme manager Jim French said: "The National Security Cutter programme continues to prove the benefits of continuous production, which allows us to learn and improve from ship to ship.

"From this learning, we are able to build quality ships affordably, safely and on schedule, all the while maintaining the industry standards."

Primarily aimed at replacing 378ft Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters being commissioned during the 1960s, the 418ft long and 54ft wide Legend-class NSCs can perform a range of missions including maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defence operations.

Incorporating an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to house diverse manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft, the vessels offer a displacement capacity of 4,500t with a full load.

Complying with all the maritime security mission requirements, the vessel can accommodate 110 crew members, while cruising at a maximum speed of 28k and a range of 12,000 miles, and has an endurance of 60 days.

NSCs are claimed to be the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard.

Having started construction of the sixth NSC, Munro (WMSL 755), in late 2014, Ingalls plans to launch the vessel in the fourth quarter of this year, while the seventh ship, Kimball (WMSL 756), is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2018.

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Image: Fifth USCG National Security Cutter James (WMSL 754) is scheduled to be commissioned in August. Photo: © 2015 Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.