Ingalls starts fabrication of NSC 11

Ingalls shipbuilder Jason Jackson starts fabrication of steel for the newest Legend-class national security cutter Friedman (NSC 11). Also pictured, from left, are Cmdr. Christopher Lavin, acting commanding officer, PRO Gulf Coast; Amanda Whitaker, Ingalls NSC ship integration manager; and Dianna Genton and Braxton Collins, Ingalls hull superintendents. [Photo by Derek Fountain/HII]

The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) today marked the start of fabrication of the U.S. Coast Guard Legend-class national security cutter Friedman (NSC 11). The start of fabrication signifies the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

“Our workforce has invested more than a decade of effort, creativity and resolve to make the Legend-class national security cutter production line incredibly efficient and strong,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We are pleased to achieve this milestone and will continue to look for any additional opportunity in our processes and approaches to provide the most affordable and capable ships to our customers.”

NSC 11 is named to honor Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Friedman was a code breaker during the Prohibition Era who, as a civilian, intercepted and solved coded messages from racketeers and gangs and delivered them to the Coast Guard. During World War II, she worked against German espionage communications and developed information that was critical to counterintelligence work in the Southern Hemisphere. Friedman’s work resulted in hundreds of criminal prosecutions, saved thousands of lives and laid the groundwork for the science of cryptology and the establishment of the modern day National Security Agency.

The Legend-class cutters 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.