USCGC Calhoun (NSC#10) arrives Charleston.
Below the line is a news release from the Department of Homeland Security. I have to admit I did not see this coming.
Huntington Ingalls Industries reported they had begun construction May 11, 2021. That was four years ago. Four years is typically about how long it takes to build a ship.
Maritime Executive reports, “construction of the 11th ship had been halted since at least November 2024 with the ship 15 percent complete.” Delivery had been expected in 2024.
The entire program has been slow. One ship was commissioned in 2008, one in 2010, one in 2012, one in 2014, one in 2015, one in 2017, two in 2019, one in 2021, but then CALHOUN was not commissioned until 2024. A three year gap in what was presumably a mature program, what happened? I had heard the National Security Cutters may have had some problems, but the only specific I had heard is that they had cooling problems maintaining maximum speed if the sea temperature was too high.
US Naval Institute News notes that existing National Security Cutters have had problems with parts shortage, “Ingalls spokeswoman Kimberly Aguillard told USNI News in a Thursday statement. ‘In mutual agreement with the USCG, we have signed a contract modification that identifies an alternate strategy related to the sunsetting of the NSC program, which has already exceeded the original acquisition objective of eight ships. Rather than proceeding with construction of the eleventh ship of the NSC class, we have agreed to execute a plan that maximizes readiness of the existing NSC fleet, by supporting overall operational availability and capability of the first ten NSCs in service.’”
Obviously this is the final nail in the coffin for any hope of NSC#12.
What does this move mean for the OPC program which actually seems to have had more problems than the NSC program? The construction contract for the first OPC was issued September 2018 and delivery was expected 2021. It has been 20 months since the future USCGC Argus was launched but still not only no delivery, no pictures of the ship underway, Also no reports of progress on the other three ships Eastern was contracted to build.
Secretary Noem Saves American Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions by Negotiating New Contract for the Coast Guard
DHS is revolutionizing national security while saving the taxpayer over $260 million
WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she successfully saved the American taxpayer over $260 million by cancelling a failing U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) shipbuilding project.
Shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls (HII) began production of a Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) in May 2021. It was supposed to be delivered by 2024 at the latest but is still nowhere near complete.
“This is about fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to the American taxpayer,” said Secretary Noem. “Huntington Ingalls owed us this cutter over a year ago. As the Trump administration is revitalizing the U.S. Coast Guard through Force Design 2028, we need to be smart with the American taxpayer’s money. This project was over time and over budget. Now the money can be redirected to ensuring the Coast Guard remains the finest, most-capable maritime service in the world. I would like to extend my thanks to Huntington Ingalls for negotiating in good faith.”
In addition to returning over $260 million to the U.S. Treasury, the Coast Guard will receive $135 million in parts that will be used to retrofit, upgrade, and maintain the Coast Guard’s existing fleet of 10 Legend-class cutters. By cancelling the production of NSC #11 and securing the parts deal with HII, Secretary Noem has ensured that the Treasury will recoup the remaining funds for use where they are most needed.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Three thoughts:
2. What does this say about the HII original design, and obviously they do not have a FIX!
3. The mission is GROWING and they want to deal with that growing task list with fewer NSCs? The USCG had better get with it on having Eastern Shipbuilding continue their construction into an additional 10 units. There is NO OTHER SHIPYARD OUT THERE that has build as many as they have already, and showing a propensity to continue even more efficient construction.
It is Austal that has the follow on contract for OPC #5 with options for up to ten more. I think that is who you were referring to. Eastern has not been showing me much.
I am well aware of the OPCs already contracted for construction by the two current builders (Eastern Shipbuilding (first four units and TDP definition plus CMS installation on those first four) and Austal USA (eleven OPCs after receiving Detailed Design info from Eastern via delivery to USCG). Eastern has done all the HARD WORK . . . now all Austal USA has to do is COPY THAT WORK!
IMHO Eastern has EARNED construction of the last ten needed to fill a 25 ship order.
Eastern has taken their time, learned their lessons, and I would steam on an Eastern OPC every day and twice on Sunday before I would steam on an Austal USA boat . . . given their previous proclivities to take the short path!
Eastern should be given the contract for the last ten (10) Heritage Class OPCs. They have earned it. They developed and are installing the CMS and providing the TDP for same AFTER providing the USCG the TDP for the ship. Austal USA has not even done it ONCE yet! Eastern ‘learning curve’ is in full swing, supply chains exercised, and THINGS ARE HAPPENING!
Even the ‘full circle’ feedback to the local schools, manufacturing, and fabrication institutions is really humming in the Florida Panhandle and across the country, and they are looking at the close of all that activity staring THEIR SUCCESS AND HARD WORK in the face.
Fourth option, not constructing New NSC or OPC frees up shipyard space and manpower to meet Donald Trump’s 381-ship US Navy ship construction goal…
The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMECs . . . mainly consisting of the 270-foot (82 m) Famous– and 210-foot (64 m) Reliance-class cutters MUST BE REPLACED. The service life extension (SLEP) program for eight cutters of the class which started in July 2021 is in full swing, and these vessels will require replacement in a decade or less.
The OPC only has 15 OPCs under contract, and my understanding is that a closing down of operations at Eastern is just around the corner.
Something is not right here. The OPCs are the HIGHEST PRIORITY construction project in the USCG.
For an administration and DHS who are claiming to be responsible with $$$ as they trash three platforms that are complete or mostly complete . . . one reads a lot of politics going on, and huge wasting of funds. Then we hear politicians claiming non-standard parts used by an organization (the shipbuilder) whose job it was to establish/designating the parts as STANDARD . . . and that politician has a vested interest . . . what is going on?
if it isn’t Political, then what is it! Or are the funding being reallocated somewhere else, or to someone else, and or why…
The NEED PERSIST . . . and the remedy . . . is WHAT? The issue is the capability of the USCG and the readiness of those units in operation. Funding is a focus here, but growth of the force is taking it in the shorts. The result . . . the country is not served. We have a Coast Guard so small that USN Destroyers must provide coverage at a HUGE EXPENSE . . . all because we cannot support the USCG appropriately.
”Sentinel”-classes! Pentagon (i.e Pete Hegseth) or DHS (i.e. Kristi “i.e. I need two new expensive Personal Transport Aircraft’s” Noem, thinking is more likely to suggest constructing more Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters to offset or even all out replace current USCG doctrine for the need of production on larger cutters like the NSC or OPC, which can be constructed in smaller “Mom and Pop” shipyards that normally produce Yachts…
The Destroyers are there for show.
Well, that’s a given! Showboating and/or grandstanding is good PR for the under educated…
Unless . . . of course . . . the undereducated is the adversary.
Which would be who and/or whom in this case, when the so-called “opposition” are the minority party in both the US Hse. of Rep. and the US Senate and hold no leadership anywhere in the Executiveship…
My statement that “The Destroyers are there for show” was perhaps too severe, but realistically they have added very little to the much larger overall effort.
”Cuarenta y cinco”, aka “Forty Five”, aka “Three Card Monte” show your mark or sucker (i.e. “We The People”) what you want them to see, and what they’ll likely see while you’re being fleeced at the same time…
I tell you Chuck, that is a mistake that’s going to Haunt us down the line and bite us royally. I remember when the USCG ran with 12 378’s and 13, 270’s and 16 210’s. How the hell dose the DHS secretary think the USCG can run with 10 NSC’s and we’re running the 210’s and 270’s to the ground. On top of that the OPC hasn’t even hit the water and running. At the same time we’re not building FRC’s fast enough and we’re not finding a replacement for the 87 ft patrol boats.
AMEN! We need an even dozen+ NSCs.
Then on top of that the US Navy is using a Burke DDG to border patrol when a Frigate and NSC is what’s needed to do the job.
I see Amateurs at work!
The problem stems from the fact the US Navy is trying to use a Buke DDG for a frigate when they could have used the LCS for border patrol work with the USCG LEDET team.
As for the NSC, we desperately need that 11th NCS for the pacific. We need to fast track the OPC so we can start taking the 210’s and 270’s offline. As for the FRC’s we need to ramp up production and Seriously need to come up with a viable replacement for the 87 ft patrol boats because we are about to run them to the ground. Which is why Sectors desperately need patrol boats.
The fact that we’re going to cancel the 11th NCS is the stupidest move ever and it’s going to bite us in the butt when we need them for next global conflict.
We have just taken an unplanned dive off the deep end of the pool. https://maritime-executive.com/article/report-uscg-suspended-construction-on-two-more-cutters
You have to wonder what this is about. First the NSC is canceled and then the OPCs are put on ice.
I understand the need to hold shipbuilders feet to the fire but the CG is going to need ships.
Maybe the plan is to just build more FRCs?
Hopefully there is a plan.
Whatever happened to the Avondale shipyard that built the 378s’ ? I was on the DALLAS pre-com detail and they built us a pretty good ship. Was Avondale absorbed by one these current shipyards that are or were under contract for the new Cutters ?
The old Avondale was absorbed by Huntington Ingalls.
Lots of consolidation after the the end of the Cold War.
We are paying for that now.