Eastern Shipbuilding, Argus and Chase building. June 2021.

US Naval Institute reports, “Coast Guard, Eastern Shipbuilding Negotiating ‘Contract Resolution’ on First 2 Offshore Patrol Cutters.”

The post includes the following statement,

According to Coast Guard budget documents, Argus and Chase are set to deliver this year, though its unclear how complete the cutters are.

I will go out on a limb and state there is not a chance in hell of Argus and Chase being delivered this year. I have been told that Argus was actually launched prematurely (October 2023) to quiet questions about progress on the program. I don’t believe Argus has ever gotten underway.  There have been no reports of it conducting sea trials. Apparently Chase has not even been launched yet.

Eastern did spend some money to improve their facilities in 2024, but providing 1,000 linear feet of additional bulkhead and berthing space and lengthening the launch facility from 380 to 500 feet, did not seem to be aimed at speeding up OPC construction.

This was in contrast to what we have seen from Austal. From Austal’s website 2024,

“Through continual capital investments, over $500 million to date, Austal USA has expanded its capability and capacity to enable concurrent production of aluminum and steel ships. The company recently 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.”

Eastern did not assemble their OPCs in a building.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group was contracted to build the first four offshore patrol cutters. The first ship, Argus, was expected to be delivered by the end of 2022. (Eastern Shipbuilding Group photo)

“The ongoing talks come as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has put a hold on all Coast Guard promotions over questions on shipbuilding contracting and lack of information from the service, Scott’s office confirmed to USNI News late last week. In a statement, Scott said the hold was the result of 18 months of unanswered questions over the status of Coast Guard contracting that includes the status of Argus and Chase.”

Despite Scott’s statement, “I don’t care what that resolution looks like, we just need a resolution.” To me that sounds an awful like putting a thumb on the scales of any negotiations between Eastern and the Coast Guard, putting pressure on the Coast Guard to meet Eastern’s demands.

To put things in perspective, this is the sequence of events:

• August 2010 Federal Times reports the Coast Guard is meeting with ship builders interested in participating in the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, August 10-20.
• 15 June 2012 Coast Guard released a draft “request for proposal” (RFP) for the construction of the Offshore Patrol Cutters. Unltimately eight shipyards would offer proposals. (The initial request included that the ship had to be ice strengthened.)
• February 2014 The Acquisitions Directorate has announced the three winners of contracts to develop preliminary and design contracts for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC)
• April 2014, Eastern exhibited its proposal for the OPC at Sea, Air, Space 2014. At that time the concept was ten meters shorter, about 328 feet.
• 15 Sept., 2016 Contract awarded to Eastern. “…production of up to nine OPCs and has a potential value of $2.38 billion if all options are exercised” equals $264.4M/ship
• 21 July, 2017 Initial critical design review completed.
• 29 June 2018 Passed critical design review.
• Sept. 28, 2018 Construction contract awarded for first OPC and long lead time items for second OPC.
• Jan. 7, 2019 Steel was cut. USCGC Argus OPC#1
• 27 April, 2020 Steel cut for OPC#2
• April 28, 2020 Keel laid for USCGC Argus OPC#1
• 27 May 2021 Keel was laid for USCGC Chase OPC#2
• May 2021 Contract for construction of the third OPC and long lead time items for OPC#4 was awarded
• 27 Sept., 2021 Steel cut for OPC#3 USCGC Ingham
• 30 June 2022 Contract with options awarded to Austal for OPCs #5-15
• July 15, 2022 Keel laid for OPC#3 USCGC Ingham
• 18 October 2022 Eastern started cutting steel for USCGC Rush OPC#4
• 27 October 2023 USCGC Argus OPC#1 launched
• 7 June 2024 stop work order was issued on OPCs #3 and 4
• 29 August 2024 Steel cut for USCGC Pickering OPC#5
• June 2025 RFI for Towing and Assessment, Sounds Like an OPC (Presumably OPC#1)
• July 2025 DHS Cancels Contract with Eastern for OPCs #3 and 4
• 5 August 2025, Steel was cut for USCGC Icarus (920) OPC#6
• 8 December 2025 Keel laid for USCGC Pickering OPC#5

USCGC Storis (WAGB 21) and USCGC Waesche (WMSL 751) conduct a proof‑of‑concept fueling‑at‑sea evolution while moored in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, May 1, 2026. The evolution marked a successful operation as first of its kind with a new Polar Asset. (U.S. Coast Guard photo via shipboard drone by Lt. j.g. Genzo Matua Gonzales)

Below is a news release.

Very pleased to see they have the V-BAT UAS. We knew they were coming (“Potential $198.1M Contract Award for Cutter-Based V-BAT UAS,” June 2024) and have seen V-BAT on other cutters. It is more capable than Scan Eagle and requires no catapult or recovery hardware. While the contract was for “Contractor Owned Contractor Operated (COCO)” services, it did include provision for service pilot and mission training. Since the photo above is “…via shipboard drone by Lt. j.g. Genzo Matua Gonzales” I hope that means we now have service members piloting some of these UAS.

The photo of the above may show that USCGC Storis has the equipment to do astern refueling but doing it tied up in port is much different from doing it underway, particularly if someone must tend the hose on the aft deck in a rough sea. The photo also shows the low freeboard aft that was one of the reasons the Coast Guard was hesitant to purchase the ship. I still have hopes the Coast guard may yet move the flight deck aft and enclose what is now an open cargo deck aft.

I cannot see National Security Cutters needing to refuel underway from Storis, but perhaps in a quiet cove she could refuel FRCs.

Waterways Commerce Cutters

Below is a release from the Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9).

May 29, 2026 —

The Coast Guard authenticated the keels for three future waterways commerce cutters (WCCs) March 6 at Birdon America’s shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

Coast Guard cutters Allen Thiele, Fred Permenter and Samuel Wilson are the first three of 30 WCCs that will replace the Coast Guard’s legacy inland tender fleet. The new cutters will strengthen the service’s ability to facilitate maritime commerce vital to economic security, strategic mobility and national defense.

The WCC fleet will help control, secure and defend the nation’s ports and waterways while maintaining the United States’ 12,000-mile marine transportation system. This critical network supports more than $5.4 trillion in annual economic activity and millions of American jobs.

In a special proceeding, the keels were authenticated simultaneously – a departure from the traditional single-vessel ceremony. Keel authentication is a longstanding maritime tradition in which a ship’s sponsor welds their initials onto a ceremonial plate permanently affixed to the cutter, symbolizing the start of the vessel’s construction. The cutters authenticated included the leads for both the river buoy and inland construction tender variants.

The new fleet has been designated the Chief Petty Officer class, with each cutter named in honor of a distinguished Coast Guard senior enlisted leader. The namesakes for the first three WCCs:

• Master Chief Petty Officer Allen Thiele, a boatswain’s mate, served in the Coast Guard from 1958 to 1990 and was selected as the fifth master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard.
• Chief Petty Officer Fred Permenter, a boatswain’s mate, received the Gold Lifesaving Medal in 1952 for rescuing four of five crew members when the St. George Reef Light motor launch capsized while being lowered in heavy seas.
• Chief Petty Officer Samuel Wilson, a boatswain’s mate, received the Coast Guard Medal of Extraordinary Heroism in 1979 for helping rescue 81 crew members from the Japanese fishing vessel Ryuyo Maru No. 2 after it ran aground on St. Paul Island, Bering Sea, Alaska.

Acquisition of the WCC fleet is supported in part by funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the largest single funding commitment in Coast Guard history. The law provided $162 million to accelerate production and deliver three cutters ahead of schedule.

The first waterways commerce cutter is expected to be completed in 2027.

For more information: Waterways Commerce Cutter Program page

We currently have 61 Webber class in commission with assigned homeports. One FRC, USCGC Benjamin (WPC-1123) was decommissioned after a shipyard fire. Wikipedia shows FRC 1163 will be home-ported in Guam and 1164 in San Pedro. This leaves us with 13 ships, 1165-1177, with as yet unknown homeports.

Current assignments for each district including the projected homeports for 1163 and 1164, are as follows:

• NE: Boston–6; TOTAL–6
• East: Cape May, NJ–3; Atlantic Beach, NC–2; TOTAL–5
• SE: Miami, FL–6; Key West, FL–6; St. Petersburg, FL–1; San Juan, PR–7; TOTAL–20
• Heartland: Galveston, TX–3; Pascagoula, MS–2; TOTAL–5
• SW: San Pedro, CA–5; TOTAL–5
• NW: Astoria, OR–2; TOTAL–2
• Oceania: Honolulu, HI–3; Santa Rita, Guam–5; TOTAL 8
• Arctic: Ketchikan, AK–3; Kodiak, AK–3; TOTAL–6
• PATFORSWA: Bahrain–6

Only the Great Lakes district has none, but they do have six 140 foot icebreaking tugs that can perform missions similar to those WPC are normally assigned.

A quick look at the list suggests a clear preference for basing in multiples of three, either three or six. Given that boats of the class are expected to be underway 2500 hours a year or about 104 days/year, three boats can keep one boat underway most the year–one in maintenance, one in work-up or standby, and one underway–with only short periods without one of the three underway, including logistics stops to resupply which may be away from home port.

It seems like one more boat will be added where there are currently only two or only 5, Atlantic Beach, Pascagoula, San Pedro, Astoria, and Guam. That would leave 8 without designated homeports.

The NW district is conspicuous as the only district (other than Great Lakes) with so few FRCs, two now but probably three relatively soon. There is a good possibility three will be based in Washington. If so that would leave us with five unassigned.

There have been suggestions the Coast Guard will establish a base in American Samoa. If three FRCs are assigned there, that would leave only two unassigned.

St. Petersburg stands out as the only location with only a single FRC (although two of the FRCs in Alaska are likely to be reassigned to Seward and Sitka). Two more in St Pete would account for all 77 of the currently planned Webber class cutters.

If we get more than currently planned, we might consider basing some in Corpus Christi, the Chesapeake Bay, and/or the San Francisco Bay Area.

Miami-class cutter USCGC Tampa photographed in harbour, prior to the First World War. Completed in 1912 as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Miami, this ship was renamed Tampa in February 1916. On 26 September 1918, while operating in the English Channel, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German Submarine UB-91. All 131 persons on board Tampa were lost with her, the largest loss of life in combat on any U.S. combatant during the First World War. Official U.S. Navy photo NH 1226 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command

A new Long Blue Line story about the loss of Tampa was published May 25. The otherwise excellent article made a statement that, “In 1914, near the start of the war, the British Admiralty began to introduce the convoy system to merchant shipping.”

As I recalled there was a long delay in introducing the convoy system and an American admiral was largely responsible for its introduction. Anyway, it prompted me to do a little research and found this article, “Protecting Allied Ships during WWI: The Convoy System Comes to Gibraltar,” from the American Battlefields Monuments Commission, which explains how the system was introduced and why convoys to and from Gibraltar were so important. It shows how rapidly the system was implemented once the decision was made.

“In March of 1917 alone, 25 percent of merchant ships headed to Britain were sunk.”.

“On April 25, 1917, shortly after the United States officially joined the war, American Adm. W. S. Sims urged the British War Cabinet to adopt a convoy system…By May 1^st the British government agreed to a trial convoy.”

“On May 3^rd the Navy reported a need for 36 destroyers and 100 smaller anti-submarine vessels for Europe.”

“On May 10^th the first convoy of the war sailed for Britain from Gibraltar. It arrived in England on the 22^nd without loss and the Admiralty immediately mandated all ships bound for England arrive in convoy.”

“The U.S. Navy decided to establish “Base No. 9” at Gibraltar on July 5^th. The next day Adm. Sims, and Adm. Jellicoe specifically requested seven gunboats and an armed American yacht for Gibraltar.  In response the U.S. Navy alerted 11 ships to prepare for “distant service” at Gibraltar under Rear Adm. Henry B. Wilson a week later. This force was augmented by six additional U.S. Coast Guard ships by the end of July.”

“The American vessels were placed on convoy duty almost as soon as they arrived.  They assumed control of nearly all the convoys between England and Gibraltar, coordinating with American coastal forces off France and Ireland.”

The Coast Guard story is more accurate with regard to Tampa’s arrival,

“On September 29, 1917, Tampa sailed out of New York, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia… On October 6^th, the cutter departed Halifax and was the last Coast Guard cutter to arrive in Gibraltar, in the evening of October 26^th. The following day, Tampa reported for duty and was assigned ocean escort duty for its first convoy to England.

These ships are all remarkably close in size to the WMEC210 Reliance class. What the other five cutters did is summarized below, from Wikipedia:

Algonquin, no caption/date; Neg. No. 148-2; Marine Photo Shop-Joe D. Williamson photo.

“Late in September, Algonquin began a 16-month tour of duty in Europe, safely escorting 750 ships on ten round trips between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom and 10 round trips between Gibraltar and the Azores”

Then USS Manning, probably 1918, as outfitted for convoy duty. She and sister Algonquin were armed with four 4-inch guns with 1,500 shells stored in two magazines fore and aft, two racks capable of carrying 16 300-pound depth charges, and four 30.06 Colt “potato digger” machine guns. A small arms locker would be filled with a pair of .30-06 Lewis guns, 18 .45 caliber Colt pistols, and 15 Springfield rifles. Photo from U.S. Warships of World War I, by P.H. Silverstone

“On 30 July 1917, Manning along with the cutters Algonquin, Ossipee, Seneca, Tampa, and Yamacraw were ordered to be outfitted for “distant service” in an unspecified region. The six cutters were outfitted with 3-inch guns and depth charge racks and were assigned duty as convoy escorts based at Gibraltar. Manning sailed for Europe on 29 August 1917 with an increased wartime complement of eight officers, four warrant officers, and 96 enlisted sailors.”

USCGC Ossipee Moored at the Boston Navy Yard in April, 1932, Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection

“While the cutter (USCGC Ossipee) was within the war zone, she was associated with thirty-two convoys and convoyed 596 vessels. In 23 of these, she served as the ocean escort. She also made three special cruises. Ossipee or other ships of her convoys observed submarines or evidence of their presence eight times, and the convoys were actually attacked seven times, with the loss of four merchant ships sunk. Ossipee, herself, was attacked once, barely escaping destruction as the torpedo missed her by 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 m).” (This entry is much more detailed about how the convoy system worked and what Ossipee did than the other ship’s histories. –Chuck)

USRC Seneca, 1908

“Seneca‘s wartime service included escorting 30 convoys consisting of about 580 ships. Only four were lost, and from them 139 survivors were rescued. Twenty-one responses to submarines were made and only one of these proved to be false… The cutter had four close calls with torpedoes, and was believed to have sunk one submarine.” Eleven Seneca crew members (one of whom was USN) were lost in an attempt to save the torpedoed ship Wellington. The attempt resulted in 19 Navy Crosses and a Distinguished Service Medal. 

USCGC Yamacraw, c. 1914.

“During convoy missions escorting merchant vessels…(Yamacraw)…performed a rescue, saving four survivors of a torpedo attack. On escort duty Yamacraw cruised over 36,000 miles.”

Japan Coast Guard’s new training ship Itsukushima. Note the dual bridge.
Photo: Japan Coast Guard

Below is a District NW news release.

In 1990 we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Coast Guard and hosted ships from Japan, Mexico, and the Soviet Union in San Francisco. My impression of the Japan Coast Guard ship was extremely favorable.

CCGS Tanu, 17 August 2019, Photo by Jordanroderick via Wikipedia

CCGS Tanu is a 925 ton 171 foot long fisheries patrol vessel with a crew of 15, completed in 1968.

Canadian Coast Guard Ship Tanu transits the Strait of Juan de Fuca during a joint search and rescue exercise, May 21, 2026. The U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard conducted a trilateral search and rescue exercise to enhance interoperability, communication, and coordination among the three nations during complex maritime emergencies. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Jade Moen)

Cape Calvert is a Cape class motor lifeboat. essentially the same as USCG 47 foot Motor Lifeboats.

Canadian CG boat Legacy

CCG Legacy (MMSI 316035702)  is an outboard powered 10 meters (33 feet) long with a beam of 4 meters

Sixty Degrees North has an excellent overview of the last domestic icebreaking season, problems as well as successes. The author is a retired US Navy officer currently living in Finnland. He provides good coverage of icebreaking all over the world. The site is included in my list of recommended blogs.

U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) Cadet Matthew Lanzilotta poses for a portrait at USCGA, New London, Connecticut, May 08, 2026. Lanzilotta is a ’26 USCGA graduate and will be going to Flight School in Pensacola, Florida, after graduation. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Janessa Warschkow.)

Below is a Coast Guard Academy news release.

I was struck by how different their first assignments out of the Academy are compared to my own class when we all went to large cutters. Their assignments are flight training, a district C5I, and a Physician Assistant Program.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — For nearly 150 years, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy has prepared leaders to serve as officers in the U.S. Coast Guard. As the Class of 2026 prepares to graduate, cadets across USCGA are leaving their mark through academic excellence, athletic achievement, operational innovation, and service-driven leadership.

Among the Class of 2026 are Cadets Matthew Lanzilotta, Allie Wildsmith, and Jean Ryu, three future officers whose experiences reflect the opportunities and challenges that define the Academy experience.

USCGA recognizes the highest performing cadet as the Distinguished Graduate. The title is awarded to the cadet with the highest military precedence average, which combines academic, military, and athletic achievement throughout the four-year program. This year, Cadet Matthew Lanzilotta has been recognized as the Distinguished Graduate.

Cadet Matthew Lanzilotta, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, chose to attend the USCGA after working in ocean rescue as a lifeguard on one of the largest resort beaches on the East Coast. Through that experience, he discovered a passion for helping others during moments of crisis and sought a career centered on service.

During his time at USCGA, Lanzilotta balanced academics, leadership positions, athletics, and research initiatives while maintaining high academic performance. He served as Battalion Swab Summer Executive Officer, helping oversee the execution of the Academy’s Swab Summer training program, and later as Regimental Planning Officer.

Outside of the classroom, Lanzilotta participated in the Trap & Skeet Team, Officer’s Christian Fellowship, Surf Club, and boxing club. He also contributed to operationally focused projects, including capstone research exploring the use of Short-Range Unmanned Aerial Systems in Coast Guard aids to navigation inspections.

“The biggest lesson I learned at USCGA is the value of admitting when you are wrong,” said Lanzilotta. “Mistakes are inevitable, but owning them, learning from them, and moving forward with humility is what builds trust.”

Following graduation, Lanzilotta will report to flight school in Pensacola, Florida.

Cadet Allie Wildsmith, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, distinguished herself both in the classroom and on the national stage as an electrical engineering major and standout track and field athlete.

A nationally recognized high jumper, Wildsmith became the first Coast Guard cadet athlete in Academy history to qualify for the USA Track and Field (USATF) Indoor Championships. She also captured her fourth consecutive NEWMAC Championship in the high jump after clearing 1.71 meters (5 feet, 7.25 inches), setting a new Nitchman Track facility record.

Balancing the demands of engineering coursework with elite athletic competition required discipline, resilience, and time management. Through her experience as a cadet-athlete, Wildsmith developed leadership skills and mental toughness that will continue to serve her throughout her Coast Guard career.

“The Academy taught me how to push myself in ways I never thought possible,” said Wildsmith. “I learned the importance of asking for help, knowing when to push myself, and refusing to give up when things became difficult. I am deeply grateful for the people who helped me get through this incredible journey, and I will carry the lessons I learned here with me into the fleet.”

Wildsmith will report to C5I department at Base Boston, in Boston, Massachusetts, after graduation.

Cadet Jean Ryu from Suwanee, Georgia, forged a unique path during her time at USCGA, becoming the first Coast Guard cadet accepted into a physician assistant (PA) program. Her acceptance into the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) reflects years of determination, accomplished without the structure of a formal Coast Guard pipeline program.

Ryu’s journey began early in her cadet career when she was the only freshman enrolled in Anatomy and Physiology. There, her instructor first introduced her to the idea of PA school. That early exposure sparked interest, but it was not until her sophomore year that the path began to take shape. She took the initiative to pursue the prerequisite coursework on her own time and at her own expense.

“I realized it was exactly the path I wanted to pursue,” said Ryu. “Once I understood the process and what was possible, I committed myself fully to making it happen.”

Ryu’s accomplishment reflects not only academic achievement, but also perseverance and self-motivation in navigating a path no one had attempted before her.

Together, Lanzilotta, Wildsmith, and Ryu represent the dedication, adaptability, and leadership embodied by the Class of 2026. Whether through operational innovation, athletic excellence, or breaking new ground in military medicine, each has helped shape the future of the Coast Guard Academy in their own way.

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U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) Cadet Allie Wildsmith poses for a portrait at USCGA, New London, Connecticut, May 11, 2026. Wildsmith is a ’26 USCGA graduate and will be going to C5I department at U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, after graduation. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Janessa Warschkow.)

U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) Cadet Jean Ryu poses for a portrait at USCGA, New London, Connecticut, May 04, 2026. Ryu is a ’26 USCGA graduate and will be going to Interservice Physician Assistant Program, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, after graduation. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Janessa Warschkow.)