(PASCAGOULA, Miss.) — Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) launched the Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) on Saturday at the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Launching Calhoun is the first of a series of significant milestone events in bringing the ship to life.
“The national security cutters are critically important to the safety and security of our country,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. “I am very proud of our NSC team who continues to build efficiencies into a mature program line to deliver the Coast Guard’s most advanced cutters. Our shipbuilders are proud and honored to build these magnificent ships, and we know that this ship named after the first master chief petty of the Coast Guard, Charles L. Calhoun, has special meaning for the (service).”
With the assistance of tugboats, Calhoun came off the floating dry dock Saturday after being translated via Ingalls’ rail car system. The dock was moved away from the pier and then ballasted to float off the ship.
Ingalls Shipbuilding is the sole designer and provider of the Legend-class national security cutter. The flagship of the Coast Guard fleet, NSCs are capable of embarking and supporting a wide range of Coast Guard, Navy and NATO manned and unmanned aircraft. NSCs have proven to be ideal platforms for drug interdiction, global illegal fishing, disaster relief and defense support operations.
Ingalls has delivered nine Legend-class NSCs, and two more are under construction. In November 2020, the ninth NSC, Stone (WMSL 758), was delivered to the Coast Guard and proceeded to conduct an unprecedented 68-day shakedown patrol, which resulted in a drug bust within two weeks of sail away and an extensive fishing enforcement patrol off the coast of South America. Calhoun, the 10th NSC, is scheduled to be christened at Ingalls Shipbuilding in June and expected to be delivered in early 2023.
– Huntington Ingalls Industries
