(MOBILE, Ala.) — Austal USA has received a contract option award from the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of the second Stage 2 Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) and the acquisition of long lead-time material to support construction of a third Stage 2 OPC. The $273 million option is part of a contract that includes options for up to 11 OPCs, with a potential value of $3.3 billion.
Construction of the second OPC, Icarus (WSMM 920), has commenced at the company’s Mobile, Ala., shipbuilding facility.
Austal Ltd. CEO Paddy Gregg said the OPC program is gathering momentum, with the option exercising the second OPC highlighting a unique build strategy that has included the optimization of the hull design for the first vessel, Pickering (WSMM 919).
“The Austal USA team have optimized the hull structure design of the first steel-hull OPC, Pickering, which will deliver a more efficient build process, a reduction in vessel weight and ultimately a longer vessel life expectancy,” Gregg said. “Austal USA has also developed a new 3-D model of the OPC that is enabling each vessel module manufactured in Mobile, Ala., to be completed to an industry-leading level of completion. The team are effectively setting new benchmarks for manufacturing productivity and efficiency with the OPC program.”
The 360-foot OPCs will provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence, conducting a variety of missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue. With a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period, each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups, serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.
Including Icarus, Austal USA has seven ships currently under construction. A new final assembly building (FA2) that will be used to support the production of the OPCs is now under construction. When complete, the building will provide approximately 59,000 square feet of new covered manufacturing space. The building will consist of three bays, two of which are specifically designed to construct the OPC.
– Austal
