No mystery why the ninth NSC is in the legislation. It was put into 2016 Homeland Security appropriations bill (which was wrapped into the omnibus bill) by Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, even though it was widely criticized as “an unnecessary acquisition.”
“The demands on the Coast Guard to protect our coasts and waterways from terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling and other maritime threats are not diminishing. They’re increasing and will continue to do so as its jurisdiction in the Arctic region expands. The National Security Cutter is the best weapon we have to meet that demand,” said Senator Cochran, back in June. “The current Coast Guard production goal for only eight National Security Cutters is based on dated assessments and is insufficient to meet current or future requirements,”
“I am pleased that the Senate bill would maintain the national security cutter production line in order to give the Coast Guard more certainty and capabilities to meet its operational requirements,” he added.
The NSC production line is, of course, in Senator Cochran’s home state at the Pasagoula, MS, shipyard of Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding Division.
NOVEMBER 15, 2015 — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company’s sixth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), Munro (WMSL 755), November 14 in front of nearly 600
Munro is the company’s sixth NSC and is expected to be delivered by the end of next year.
“The National Security Cutter program is in a very mature state,” said Derek Murphy, Ingalls’ NSC program manager. “NSC 6 is the most complete ship at launch, and we accomplished this a week earlier than scheduled. Our shipbuilders continue to improve the learning curve, and the National Security Cutter program illustrates the cost savings and first-time quality that comes from serial production. Our learning curve is the best it has been on this program, and we look forward to continuing this trend on future Coast Guard ships.”
Munro was translated (transferred) via the shipyard’s rail car system to the floating dry dock one week prior to launch. The dock was moved away from the pier and then flooded to float the ship. With the assistance of tugs, Munro came off the dock Saturday morning.
“All of the folks working the translation and launch worked diligently to ensure the process was done in the most efficient manner possible, and that’s exactly what happened,” said Jason Frioux, Ingalls’ NSC 6 program integration manager. “Now our NSC 6 team will continue this effort so this ship will be ready for sea trials and delivery next year. Everything we are doing on a day-to-day basis matters because we want to ensure the men and women of the Coast Guard will have a safe and quality ship to support their homeland security missions.”
Ingalls has delivered the first five NSCs and has three more under construction, including Munro. The seventh ship, Kimball (WMSL 756), is scheduled for delivery in 2018. The eighth NSC, Midgett, will start fabrication in November.
Munro is named to honor Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro, the Coast Guard’s sole recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was mortally wounded on Sept. 27, 1942, while evacuating a detachment of Marines on Guadalcanal.
Legend-class NSCs are the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet. Designed to replace the 378‐foot Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s, they are 418 feet long with a 54-foot beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 110.
NSCs are capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. They include an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft. The Legend class is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard, with capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions.
JULY 16, 2015 — The National Security Cutter James (WMSL 754) sailed away from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division July 12—just one month after being delivered to the United States
APRIL 8, 2015 — Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) reports the successful completion of builder’s sea trials for the company’s fifth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), Joshua James (WMSL 754). The
MARCH 30, 2015 — Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) reports that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $499.8 million fixed-price incentive contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to build an eighth National
JANUARY 21, 2015 — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has officially started fabrication on the U.S. Coast Guard’s seventh National Security Cutter (NSC), Kimball (WMSL 756). “We continue to increase
NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division this week authenticated the keel of the sixth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, Munro (WMSL 755) in a ceremony at
SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division yesterday delivered the National Security Cutter Hamilton (WMSL 753) to the U.S. Coast Guard today. The ship will be commissioned in
AUGUST 18, 2014—One crew member is dead, following a fire in the engine room of a 485 ft Bahamian flag chemical tanker, according to a report by the U.S. Coast Guard. The
