Charleston to get its fifth national security cutter

The following is text from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday announced that Charleston, S.C., will be the home of the service’s newest national security cutter (NSC).

Construction on the 11th national security cutter is scheduled to begin by spring of 2020. Charleston is already home to two of the Coast Guard’s national security cutters, James and Hamilton. In 2017, the Coast Guard announced that the ninth and 10th national security cutters, currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., will join the Charleston-based NSC fleet in the coming years.

National security cutters are the most technologically-advanced vessels in the Coast Guard. They are capable of supporting maritime homeland security and defense missions. They safeguard the American people and promote our security in a complex and persistently-evolving maritime environment.

Grouping cutters of the same class is one critical variable in selecting home ports. Grouping cutters in the same location improves maintenance proficiency, streamlines logistics, and provides increased personnel flexibility.

The cutter is scheduled to arrive in 2024; its name has not yet been selected. This will be the fifth national security cutter assigned to Charleston.

By Professional Mariner Staff