Page 54: of Marine News Magazine (October 2020)

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VESSELS

USCG National Security Cutter Stone Passes Acceptance Trials class NSCs with two more under construction and one ad- ditional under contract.

The technologically advanced Legend-class NSC enables the Coast Guard to meet the demands required for mari- time and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safe- ty, environmental protection and national defense missions.

NSCs are 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

NSC 9 was named to honor Coast Guard of? cer Com-

Lance Davis / HII

The U.S. Coast Guard’s ninth national security cutter, mander Elmer “Archie” Fowler Stone, Coast Guard avia-

Stone (WMSL 758), has completed acceptance sea trials, tor number one, who made history in 1919 for being one

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding of two Coast Guard pilots in the four man air crew who division announced. completed the ? rst transatlantic ? ight in a Navy seaplane.

Having spent two days in the Gulf of Mexico proving “This ship, like all of the national security cutters we have its systems, Stone is scheduled to deliver later this year and delivered, will be capable of undertaking the most challeng- will be homeported in Charleston, S.C. ing Coast Guard missions with great capability and endur-

Ingalls in Pascagoula, Miss. has delivered eight Legend- ance,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias.

Bollinger Scores More FRC Builds

Bollinger Shipyards has been awarded contracts to build four additional Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) for the U.S. Coast Guard, bringing the total num- ber of FRCs awarded to the Louisiana shipbuilder up to 60 vessels since the program’s inception. The Coast Guard’s

Program of Record is to procure 64 FRCs.

All four of the newly awarded 154-foot FRCs will be

Bollinger Shipyards built at Bollinger’s Lockport, La. facility and are scheduled to be delivered in 2022 and 2023. Three of the four will 271,000 different items for the FRC consisting of 282 mil- be homeported in Alaska and the fourth in Boston. FRCs lion components and parts from 965 suppliers in 37 states. have a ? ank speed of 28 knots, state of the art C4ISR suite, “While Louisiana’s unemployment rate remains above and stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot, over- historic averages, we’re proud that Bollinger continues to the-horizon interceptor cutter boat. be an economic pillar and job creator in south Louisiana. “It’s a great honor to have the con? dence of the U.S. More than 600 of our 1,500-plus employees have impor-

Coast Guard to continue the work we’re doing,” said Bol- tant roles related to the FRC program,” Bordelon said. linger Shipyards president & CEO Ben Bordelon. “De- “Without the support of the Coast Guard and Congress livering vessels on schedule and on budget to the Coast for the continuation of this critical program in FY21, the

Guard during these challenging times shows the determi- security of these jobs would be thrown into question.” nation and resiliency of our workforce.” Bollinger supports many government shipbuilding pro-

The long-running FRC program has had a total eco- grams in addition to FRC construction. The shipbuilder is nomic impact of $1.2 billion since inception and directly participating in industry studies for ? ve government pro- supports 650 jobs in Southeast Louisiana, Bollinger said. grams, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol

In total, the program has indirectly created 1,690 new jobs Cutter (OPC) program, the U.S. Navy’s Common Hull from operations and capital investment and has an annual Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) program, economic impact on GDP of $202 million, according to the U.S. Navy’s Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T- the most recent data from the U.S. Maritime Administra- AGOS(X)) program, the U.S. Navy’s Large Unmanned tion (MARAD) on the economic Importance of the U.S. Surface Vehicle (LUSV) program and the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding and repair Industry. Bollinger sources over Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) program.

October 2020

MN 54