Future USCGC Argus at launch Eastern Shipyard, Oct 27, 2023.

The USNI reports,

The Coast Guard and Eastern Shipbuilding have reached an agreement to terminate a 10-year-old agreement to build the service’s Offshore Patrol Cutters, USNI News has learned.

“The Coast Guard has reached an agreement with the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Stage 1 shipbuilder to close out the contract,” the service said in a Friday statement to USNI News. “The Coast Guard will acquire and deliver the OPC class as fast as possible to address the nation’s security and safety needs, while maintaining public trust and stewardship of American taxpayer dollars.”

There has been no news release from either the Coast Guard or Eastern. No details of the agreement were provided, so there are still questions. Is Eastern going to finish OPCs #1 and #2? (I don’t think so.) Are they to be towed away and finished elsewhere? Is the Coast Guard going to have to pay Eastern more money for not completing their contract? All that seems to be certain is that the previous contract has been terminated and that Representative “…Rick Scott (R-Fla.) lifted a hold on Coast Guard officer promotions…”

Thanks for small favors. I don’t think there is any reason for the House to have to approve the promotion of junior to middle grade officers. This sounds like a hold-over from the spoils system. I would think they have more important things to think about. Using it to get apply pressure to get favors for your constituents is really immoral.

I will say this again. There really should be an investigation of how Eastern got the contract in the first place. Who made the final decision? Was it a Coast Guard decision? a DHS decision? Were there questions about Eastern’s competence? Was political pressure applied?