Heritage-class cutter

The Heritage-class cutter, also known as the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Maritime Security Cutter, Medium, is a cutter class of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program and built by Eastern Shipbuilding[4] and Austal USA.[5] Construction of the first vessel in the class began in January 2019. As they are completed, it is expected that they will replace 270-foot (82 m) Famous- and 210-foot (64 m) Reliance-class Medium Endurance Cutters.[6]

Heritage-class cutter
Computer graphic illustration of the Heritage-class cutter provided by Eastern Shipbuilding.
Class overview
NameHeritage class
BuildersEastern Shipbuilding, Austal USA
Preceded byFamous and Reliance classes
Planned11 (possibly up to 25)
Building4
General characteristics
TypeUnited States Coast Guard Cutter
Displacement3,700 long tons (full load)
Length360 ft (110 m)
Beam54 ft (16 m)
Draft17 ft (5.2 m)
Installed power4 x 940 eKW diesel generators
Propulsion2 × 7,280 kW (9,760 hp) Fairbanks Morse 16V28/33D STC diesel engines at 1,000 rpm [1]
Speed24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph)
Range10,200 nmi (18,900 km; 11,700 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Endurance60 days
Boats & landing
craft carried		3 x Over-the-horizon boats
Complement126
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
  • 1 x MK 110 57 mm gun a variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System
  • 1 x BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 3 25 mm gun with 7.62 mm co-axial gun[3]
  • 2 x M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted on a MK 50 Stabilized Small Arms Mount (SSAM)
  • 4 x crew-served M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns
  • Designed For but not with additional weapons
ArmorBallistic protection over critical areas and main gun
Aircraft carriedOne MH-60 or MH-65, plus sUAS
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck, hangar for all aircraft

Mission

The Heritage-class cutters will perform various USCG missions which include but are not limited to PWCS (ports, waterways, and coastal security), defense operations, maritime law enforcement (drug/migrant interdiction and other law enforcement), search and rescue, marine safety, and environment protection. For defense operations the WMSM will meet a range of roles from theater security cooperation to deploying with an expeditionary strike group (ESG) or supporting a combatant commander in various ways. The cutters will also support Arctic operations.[7]

Design

The Heritage-class cutters are the newest class of cutter in the USCG, bridging the capabilities of the Legend and Sentinel-class cutters. The design is based on Vard Marine's VARD 7 110 offshore patrol vessel design.[8] The cutters will be classified to American Bureau of Shipping Naval Vessel Rules with USCG addendum and will be built with a mix of military and commercial standards.[9] The cutters will have the ability to install additional equipment (armament) and systems to augment their capabilities if required to conduct operations in higher threat environments in support of national security objectives or other missions. The cutters' construction will provide combat survivability against various threats, including combatant-type compartmentalization, uninterruptible power supply to vital combat and damage control systems and sensors, and ballistic materials over critical areas for protection against small caliber weapons and shrapnel.[10] The cutters have increased interoperability with other USCG and Department of Defense assets, which provides increased communications and similar systems with other combatants such as the Mk 110 and the Mk 38, weapons used in both the United States Navy (USN) and the USCG. This ensures that the Heritage class has the required interoperability to execute naval warfare tasks with the USN.[11] These cutters have space and weight reserved for additional weapons systems which would allow them to carry out wartime missions.

Propulsion

Rolls-Royce will supply the USCG Heritage-class fleet's controllable-pitch propellers (CPP), shaft lines, and Promas rudders, which offer increased propulsive efficiency and improved maneuverability. The Promas rudder, combined with the water-soluble polyalkylene glycol (PAG) lubricant used in the CPP system, delivers an efficient and environmentally friendly propulsion solution. Rolls-Royce will also supply bow thrusters, steering gear, fin stabilizers, and MTU marine generator sets.[12]

Combat suite

The Saab Sea Giraffe AN/SPS-77 multi-mode medium-range naval radar system provides three-dimensional air and surface search functions. The multi-mode naval radar also provides Gun Weapon System cueing and supports the cutter's self-defense and limited air defense capability.[13] The cutters are also equipped with the AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 electronic warfare system, which is a scaled down and lower cost version of the AN/SLQ-32(V)6 SEWIP Block 2 system.[14] The Heritage-class cutters are equipped with the same 220 rpm Bofors 57 mm gun as mounted on the USN's Littoral combat ships and the USCG's Legend-class cutters.[15] The missile defense duties are handled by the MK 53 decoy systems also used on the Legend-class cutters. The Heritage-class cutters weapon and defense systems provide anti-surface capability, limited air-defense capability, and the capability to provide naval gunfire support.[16] The cutter's .50 caliber mounts and Mk 38/Mk 110 combination also give the cutter protection against fast attack craft.[17] The WMSM will have the capability and equipment to escape from a CBRNE and/or TIC contaminated environment.[18]

History

The cutter was originally proposed to replace aging medium endurance cutters with more capable and technologically advanced cutters as a part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program. By 2010 and 2011 some commentators speculated that the entire program was vulnerable to cancellation on budgetary grounds, because of the long delay in finalizing a preliminary design.[19][20]

A bill passed by the United States Congress on 15 November 2011, imposed conditions on the USCG's capital expenditures, that revolved around the design of the Offshore Patrol Cutter, granting greater certainty to the project.[21]

By December 2011 plans for the cutter started to become more concrete.[22] Plans to include a stern launching ramp, as on the National Security Cutters and the Fast Response Cutters, had been eliminated on budgetary grounds.

In February 2014, the USCG announced that Bollinger Shipyards, Eastern Shipbuilding, and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works had been awarded design contracts for the OPC.[23] The Government Accountability Office denied contract appeals by VT Halter Marine and Ingalls Shipbuilding.[24]

In September 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Florida, was awarded a $110.3 million contract to build the first Offshore Patrol Cutter with an option to purchase eight additional cutters.[25] [26] On 15 October 2016 the Coast Guard issued a notice to proceed with the detailed design of the Offshore Patrol Cutter to Eastern Shipbuilding.[27]

The first Offshore Patrol Cutter is expected to be delivered in late 2022.[28] In total, the 25-ship deal could be worth up to $10.5 billion. On 21 July 2017, Eastern Shipbuilding completed its Initial Critical Design Review for the Offshore Patrol Cutter. This leads to the Final Critical Design Review for the Offshore Patrol Cutter.[29]

On 3 August 2017, it was announced that the OPC's will be named "Heritage class" and the first 11 OPCs were named.[30] The Heritage-class OPCs are named after cutters that played a significant role in the Coast Guard's history.[31]

On 7 September 2017, it was announced the USCG exercised a fixed-price option to procure long lead time materials for the first Heritage-class cutter. The total value is $41.68 million, this covers various materials and parts needed for the engines, switchboards and generators, steering and propeller components, and control systems.[32] This also includes meeting Coast Guard requirements, and meeting all American Bureau of Shipping Naval Vessel Rules and is the first US Coast Guard cutter ever constructed to meet these very specific requirements. The construction of the first cutter, USCGC Argus (WMSM-915), was planned to begin in the late summer of 2018, with delivery in August 2021.[33]

On 28 September 2018, the USCG exercised the contract option to begin construction of the lead Offshore Patrol Cutter, along with long-lead materials for OPC #2. The total value of the options exercised is $317.5 million.[34] Delayed by the impact of Hurricane Michael in October 2018, steel cutting for USCGC Argus began on 7 January 2019.[35]

On 11 October 2019, the Department of Homeland Security approved a limited extraordinary relief for the offshore patrol cutter contract as a result of damage to Eastern Shipbuilding facilities caused by Hurricane Michael, and adjusted the offshore patrol cutter detail design and construction contract with Eastern Shipbuilding group for up to the first four hulls. The Coast Guard will release a Request for Information to see industry interest in re-competing the remainder of the offshore patrol cutter Program of Record.[36]

On 2 July 2022, Austal USA was awarded the contract for detail design and material acquisition for the fifth hull in the class, with an option for up to 11 hulls in total (hulls 5-15).[5]

In August 2023, the Coast Guard estimated that the first Offshore Patrol Cutter, USCGC Argus (WMSM-915), won't be delivered until around September 30, 2024, over three years later than its original projected delivery date of August 2021, and nearly six years after Eastern Shipbuilding first cut steel for the Argus in January 2019.[37]

Ship list
Ship Hull Number Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport Status
Argus[38] WMSM-915 Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, Florida 28 April 2020 [39] 30 September 2024 (projected) [40] San Pedro, California[41] Under Construction[42][43]
Chase[38] WMSM-916 17 May 2021 [44] San Pedro, California[41] Under Construction[45]
Ingham[38] WMSM-917 15 July 2022[46] Kodiak, Alaska[41] Under Construction[47]
Rush[30][38] WMSM-918 Kodiak, Alaska[41] Under Construction[48]
Pickering[30][38] WMSM-919 Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama Newport, Rhode Island Detail Design & Long-Lead Time Material [49]
Icarus[30][38] WMSM-920 Newport, Rhode Island Planned
Active[30][38] WMSM-921 Planned
Diligence[30][38] WMSM-922 Planned
Alert[30][38] WMSM-923 Planned
Vigilant[30][38] WMSM-924 Planned
Reliance[30][38] WMSM-925 Planned

See also

References
  1. "Fairbanks Morse Engines to Power Coast Guard's New Offshore Patrol Cutter". fairbanksmorse.com. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. "Saab to Provide Multi-Mode Radar for US Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter". Saab Corporate.
  3. "Exhibit P-40, Budget Line Item Justification: PB 2020 Navy" (PDF). www.dacis.com/. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  4. "Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC)". Integrated Deepwater System Program. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  5. Vavasseur, Xavier (1 July 2022). "US Coast Guard Selects Austal USA to Continue OPC Production". Naval News. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  6. LaGrone, Sam (21 July 2022). "Eastern Shipbuilding Protests Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter Award to Austal USA". news.usni.org. USNI News. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  7. "Offshore Patrol Cutter: Program Profile". USCG.mil. U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  8. "VARD 7 110 SELECTED FOR USCG OFFSHORE PATROL CUTTER". vardmarine.com. Vard Marine. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  9. "Coast Guard Cutter Procurement". kmimediagroup.com. USCG. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  10. "Maritime security Cutter, Medium (WMSC), Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS" (PDF). USCG.mil. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  11. "UNCLASSIFIED LI 4206 – Coast Guard Weapons UNCLASSIFIED Navy Page 1 of 4 P-1 Line #30 Exhibit P-40, Budget Line Item Justification: PB 2015 Navy" (PDF). www.dacis.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  12. "Rolls-Royce wins propulsion contract for U.S. Coast Guard's new Offshore Patrol Cutter". www.rolls-royce.com. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  13. "FY17-FY21 SHIPBOARD MULTI MODE RADAR (MMR) PRODUCTION". www.fbo.gov. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  14. "Surface Navy 2018: SEWIP Lite set for first deliveries". www.janes.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  15. "57MM Naval Gun System".
  16. "MK 110 MOD 0 – 57 MM GUNS". Navy.mil. US Navy. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  17. "Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) SUW Self-Protection Secondary Battery Study" (PDF). weaponsanalysis.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  18. "Maritime security Cutter, Medium (WMSC), Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS" (PDF). USCG.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  19. Colin Clark (7 December 2010). "Coasties May Lose Cutters to OMB". dodbuzz.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011. The program is in its infancy, which may be why OMB wants to cut it before any money starts flowing. Chris Cavas at Navy Times reported that the Coasties are talking to shipbuilders about the best technical and acquisition approaches for the ship. No contracts are due to be awarded for at least another year, so from OMB's perspective this looks like the best time to save the most money.
  20. Craig Collins on April 27, 2011 (27 April 2011). "The Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter". defensemedianetwork.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011. The reason rumors continue to swirl about the Coast Guard's future Offshore Patrol Cutter — including recent speculation that the entire program was to be axed – may simply be that so little has been decided about what the cutter will actually look like. The OPC is a high-profile program, one of the most expensive and talked-about shipbuilding ventures in Coast Guard history, and people are curious.
  21. David Perera (28 November 2011). "House Coast Guard authorization bill decommissions icebreaker within 3 years". fiercehomelandsecurity.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011. Language in the bill would prevent the Coast Guard from starting production on a seventh NSC until it selects an Offshore Patrol Cutter design. The service released a draft specification for the OPCs to industry in May 2011 and is currently reviewing comments; Coast Guard officials said during an Oct. 13 press call that they couldn't say when they'll release a draft request for proposals.
  22. Stew Magnuson (December 2011). "Lean Fiscal Times Influence Design Of New Coast Guard Cutter Program". National Defense Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011. The Coast Guard has already made some budget-based decisions as far as what the ship will not feature. Gas turbine engines and a system to launch small boats from the stern are two ideas that have already been rejected, he said.
  23. CAVAS, CHRISTOPHER P. (14 February 2014). "3 Firms Win Design Contracts for New US Coast Guard Cutter". www.defensenews.com. Gannett Government Media. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  24. "GAO denies protest over Coast Guard patrol cutters". www.washingtontimes.com. The Associated Press. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  25. LaGrone, Sam (15 September 2016). "Eastern Shipbuilding Wins Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter Award; Bests BIW, Bollinger". USNI News.
  26. LaGrone, Sam (21 September 2016). "Coast Guard Ready for Possible Offshore Patrol Cutter Protest". USNI News. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  27. "USCG: Offshore Patrol Cutter". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  28. "Offshore Patrol Cutter Argus Nears Completion". www.usni.org. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  29. "Eastern Shipbuilding Completes Offshore Patrol Cutter ICDR Milestone". maritime-executive.com. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  30. "The offshore patrol cutter (OPC) is the Coast Guard's highest investment priority and will play a critical role in the service's future". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  31. "The Long Blue Line: the Nation's first fleet, today's Offshore Patrol Cutters". Coast Guard Compass. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022. The first flight of 11 OPCs will include the Active, Argus, Diligence and Vigilant, named for four cutters of the first fleet and subsequent cutters with the same names. OPC Pickering will pay homage to the distinguished combat record of the Quasi-War cutter Pickering. OPC Ingham will carry the name of a 327-foot "Treasury"-class cutter that served with distinction in World War II. OPC Icarus will honor the cutter that sank one of the first Nazi U-boats after U.S. entry into World War II. OPCs Chase and Rush will bear two cutter names long associated with the Coast Guard, most recently with two high-endurance cutters of the 378-foot Hamilton-class. And, OPCs Alert and Reliance will bear the names of two famed workhorses of the medium-endurance cutter fleet.
  32. "Coast Guard Exercises Long Lead Time Materials Option For First Offshore Patrol Cutter". dcms.uscg.mil. Retrieved 8 September 2017. The Coast Guard exercised a fixed-price option to the service's existing contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. of Panama City, Florida, today to procure long lead time materials for the first offshore patrol cutter (OPC). The total value of the option is $41.68 million. This covers the initial order of components and materials necessary to support the cutter's construction including propeller and steering components, marine diesel engines, the ship integrated control system, switchboards and generators.
  33. Eastern Shipbuilding Group (15 September 2017). "EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP AWARDED LONG LEAD TIME MATERIAL (LLTM) CONTRACT FOR UNITED STATES COAST GUARD OFFSHORE PATROL CUTTER PROGRAM" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021.
  34. "Coast Guard Exercises Option to Construct First Offshore Patrol Cutter". uscg.mil. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  35. "Construction starts on first US Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter". navaltoday.com. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  36. "Department of Homeland Security Approves Limited Extraordinary Relief for Offshore Patrol Cutter Contract". www.dcms.uscg.mil. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  37. "While Eastern Shipbuilding Thrives, New Coast Guard Cutter Lags Behind". Forbes.com. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  38. "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD: Acquisition Pamphlet" (PDF). www.dcms.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard - Acquisition Directorate. 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2023.
  39. "Eastern Lays Keel for Second Offshore Patrol Cutter". marinelink.com. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  40. "While Eastern Shipbuilding Thrives, New Coast Guard Cutter Lags Behind". Forbes.com. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  41. "DHS USCG Budget Overview FY2019"
  42. "Construction starts on first US Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter". navaltoday.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  43. "Keel authenticated for first offshore patrol cutter". www.dcms.uscg.mil/. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  44. "Eastern Lays Keel for Second Offshore Patrol Cutter". marinelink.com. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  45. "Coast Guard Modifies Contract to Construct Second Offshore Patrol Cutter, Acquire Long Lead-Time Material for Third Offshore Patrol Cutter". dcms.uscg.mil. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  46. "Eastern Shipbuilding hosts keel-laying ceremony for third USCGC Ingham (WMSM-917)". 18 July 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  47. "Eastern Shipbuilding cuts steel for third OPC". marinelog.com. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  48. "Eastern Cuts Steel for Fourth USCG Offshore Patrol Cutter". marinelink.com. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  49. "Bid protest withdrawn, Austal USA gets go ahead for OPC stage 2". marinelog.com. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
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