Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2023)

G REAT of

HIPS

S 2023

Eastern Shipbuilding

OPC: A “G -C ”AME HANGER he much-needed replacement for the Coast The OPC is based on the Vard Marine Inc., VARD 7 110

Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cut- Offshore Patrol Vessel design. Vard has been working with ters (WMECs) took a giant step closer to join- ESG on the OPC program for the past 11 years, beginning ing the ? eet as the ? rst Offshore Patrol Cutter with concept design and continuing through the preliminary

T(OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern and contract design phases, as well as detail design and con-

Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City Florida in late struction. Northrop Grumman is the system integrator for the

October 2023. The Coast Guard plans to procure up to 25 of C4ISR and control systems, which includes the integrated the 360-ft., 3,700-ton OPCs. Along with the Polar Security bridge, navigation, command and control, computing net-

Cutter (PSC) program, the Coast Guard of? cials describes work, data distribution, machinery control, and propulsion the OPC program as one of the service’s highest acquisi- control system. tion priorities. The OPC joins the 11 planned 418-foot Na- The OPC is armed with the BAE Systems MK 110 57 mm tional Security Cutters, nine of which are in service, which gun, which is the same gun found on the NSC and the U.S. are the replacements for the 378-foot Hamilton-class high- Navy’s littoral combat ships. Like the NSC, the OPC has a endurance cutters (the last of which left service in 2021), ? ight deck to accommodate helicopters and unmanned aer- and the planned 65 154-foot Fast Response Cutters, of which ial systems. However, while the NSC and FRC have stern 54 are active, which are replacing the 110-foot Island-class ramps to launch and recover their interceptor boats, the OPC patrol boats. The OPC will accommodate a crew of up to uses over-the-side davit cranes for launch and recovery.

126—compared with the 270s and 210s with crews of 100 The ? rst four OPCs are being built by ESG at Panama and 75 respectively--and are capable of eight-week patrols. City. The lead ship is expected to be delivered to the Coast

OPCs will have a rage of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots, Guard towards the end of ? scal year 2024.

providing an estimated 70% of the Coast Guard’s offshore The OPCs are referred to as the Heritage class, and the 25 presence. In addition, the OPC are designed to be better able ships will be named for famous cutters. to operate with the Navy and other partners. They will be The ? rst ship in the Heritage class is named for the Rev- capable of deploying independently or integrated as part of enue Cutter Argus. She was one of the ? rst 10 ships that task groups and serving as a mobile command and control entered service with the newly formed U.S. Revenue Cutter platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, Service, one of the predecessor services to what is today the mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will Coast Guard. Revenue Cutter Argus began 13 years of ser- also conduct operations in the Arctic by helping regulate and vice to the young United States of America, making her ? rst protect emerging commerce, support ? sheries enforcement patrol in 1791 and serving until 1804.

and energy exploration in Alaska. –By Edward Lundquist 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • December 2023

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