Tag Archives: National Security Cutter

Navy

Keel Authentication

September 21, 2018 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the National Security Cutter USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) on September 14, 2018. It is the ninth Legend-class cutter built at Ingalls for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Demetrica Hawkins, a structural welder at Ingalls Shipbuilding, welded ship sponsor Laura Cavallo’s initials onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of NSC 9 as being «truly and fairly laid». The plate will remain affixed to the ship throughout its lifetime (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

«NSCs are essential to the Coast Guard and play a significant role in making America safer and stronger», said Kari Wilkinson, Ingalls’ vice president, program management. «As Americans and as shipbuilders, this team understands that every day is an important day in completing and delivering this asset to the Coast Guard. It is a mission we hold close and that drives the NSC team to raise the bar from ship to ship».

Laura Cavallo, the great niece of the namesake, will serve as the ship’s sponsor.

Demetrica Hawkins, a structural welder at Ingalls, welded Cavallo’s initials onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of NSC 9 as being «truly and fairly laid». The plate will remain affixed to the ship throughout its lifetime.

«As I’ve stated previously, the National Security Cutter is game-changing», said U.S. Coast Guard Captain Travis Carter, commanding officer, Gulf Coast. «The entire Coast Guard team is appreciative of the hard work and dedication of the men and women at Ingalls Shipbuilding. The Coast Guard and the nation depend on your skills to provide the ships we use to complete our missions around the world. I look forward to seeing the continued example of your hard work in the next great ship».

The ship is named in honor of former U.S. Coast Guard commander Elmer «Archie» Fowler Stone. Stone was born in Livonia, New York, and grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. He became a cadet at the Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction on April 28, 1910. On April 10, 1917, Stone became the Coast Guard’s first aviator upon graduating from flight training at Pensacola, Florida. In 1919 Stone was one of two pilots to successfully make a transatlantic flight in a U.S. Navy seaplane, NC-4. Stone died of a heart attack on May 20, 1936, while inspecting a new patrol plane at the Air Patrol Detachment in San Diego.

Ingalls has delivered six NSCs, the flagship of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s.

NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. The cutter includes 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. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. This class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	120
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats
Aviation carried	(2) MCH, or (4) Vertical-Launch Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VUAV) or (1) MCH and (2) VUAV
Stern launch	Two cutter boats (Long Range Interceptor and/or Short Range Prosecutor)
Electronic Warfare and Decoys	AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System, Two Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC)/2 NULKA countermeasures chaff rapid decoy launcher
Communications	HF, VHF & UHF
Sensors and Processing Systems	X and S band radar, 3D air search radar, AN/SPQ-9 radar, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF)

Ship list

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Bertholf	WMSL-750	03-29-2005	09-29-2006	08-04-2008
Waesche	WMSL-751	09-11-2006	07-12-2008	05-07-2010
Stratton	WMSL-752	07-20-2009	07-23-2010	03-31-2012
Hamilton	WMSL-753	09-05-2012	08-10-2013	12-06-2014
James	WMSL-754	05-17-2013	05-03-2014	08-08-2015
Munro	WMSL-755	10-07-2013	09-12-2015	04-01-2017
Kimball	WMSL-756	03-04-2016	12-17-2016
Midgett	WMSL-757	01-27-2017	11-22-2017
Stone	WMSL-758	09-14-2018
	WMSL-759
	WMSL-760

Navy

Christening ceremony

March 5, 2017 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the seventh Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC), USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), on March 04, 2017 in front of approximately 1,000 guests.

Ship’s sponsor Kay Webber Cochran smashes a bottle of sparkling wine against the bow of the Ingalls-built National Security Cutter USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756). Also pictured (left to right) are U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft; Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant; Representative Steven Palazzo, Republican-Mississippi; Senator Thad Cochran, Republican-Mississippi; and Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«We wouldn’t be able to bring this ship to life without the great work that we see here at Huntington Ingalls shipyard», said U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, who was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. «I am moved every time I come onto this facility and I see ‘What you do today matters’. And the reason why it matters so much is that in the year 2060, this ship will still be serving with a whole new generation as its crew. Many other nations around the world model themselves after the United States Coast Guard. We are the premier Coast Guard in the world. We would not be that without these magnificent ships being built in Pascagoula today».

The ship is named in honor of Sumner I. Kimball, who organized and directed the U.S. Life-Saving Service and was a pioneer in organizing all of the different facilities associated with the service into what eventually would become toady’s U.S. Coast Guard. Kay Webber Cochran, wife of Senator Thad Cochran, Republican-Mississippi, is the ship’s sponsor and officially christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across its bow.

«With this ship, we’ve proven once again that American workers – Ingalls’ shipbuilders – can take on some of the most challenging manufacturing projects in the world», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «Our Ingalls/Coast Guard team continues to get stronger and more efficient with every ship they build. Without question, these National Security Cutters are clearly changing the game on how we protect our country. That makes us proud, but more importantly, it makes our potential enemies nervous. The men and women who will one day sail into harm’s way on USCGC Kimball deserve nothing less».

Ingalls is the sole builder of Legend-class National Security Cutters and has successfully delivered six to the Coast Guard. USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756) is scheduled to start builder’s trials in the fourth quarter of 2017. The eighth ship, USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757) is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2017. In December 2016, Ingalls received a $486 million contract to build a ninth National Security Cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard.

«Today is a day to be thankful for this shipyard and its shipbuilders and for those who’ve served in uniform», said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. «As I drove through the shipyard this morning, I did so in constant amazement, seeing what we have built in Mississippi. These shipbuilders work their hardest to produce the finest ships and to make sure our sailors and Coast Guard have the best of the best».

WMSL-756 is the third ship to bear the name Kimball. The first, WSC/WMEC-143, was commissioned in 1927 and was homeported in Pascagoula, where it served as a patrol boat until 1938. The second ship was SS Sumner I. Kimball (EC2-S-C1), a Liberty ship built in 1943. Mass-produced on a record scale during World War II to carry cargo and munitions to Europe, the Liberty ship symbolizes U.S. wartime industrial output. On return from its first trans-Atlantic voyage in 1944, EC2-S-C1 was torpedoed and sunk by a Nazi submarine, resulting in the loss of 64 American lives.

«The National Security Cutter is vital to our national security needs», said Representative Steven Palazzo, Republican-Mississippi. «Our Coast Guard protects our borders, intercepts drugs up and down our coast, and ensures we are safe here at home. We need these ships now more than ever. We have the greatest shipbuilders in the world building the greatest ships in the world for the greatest customers in the world right here in south Mississippi. And I cannot be prouder of the men and women who built the Kimball».

Legend-class National Security Cutters are the flagships of the U.S. Coast Guard. They are the most technologically advanced ships in the Coast Guard’s fleet, with capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national security missions. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 long tons/4,572 metric tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 nautical miles/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120. The Legend class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons/4,572 metric tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	110
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Ship list

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Bertholf	WMSL-750	03-29-2005	09-29-2006	08-04-2008
Waesche	WMSL-751	09-11-2006	07-12-2008	05-07-2010
Stratton	WMSL-752	07-20-2009	07-23-2010	03-31-2012
Hamilton	WMSL-753	09-05-2012	08-10-2013	12-06-2014
James	WMSL-754	05-17-2013	05-03-2014	08-08-2015
Munro	WMSL-755	10-07-2013	09-12-2015
Kimball	WMSL-756	03-04-2016	12-17-2016
Midgett	WMSL-757	01-27-2017
Stone	WMSL-758

Navy

Truly and fairly laid

February 1, 2017 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the eighth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757) on January 27, 2017.

Ship Sponsor Jazania O’Neal writes her initials onto a steel plate that will be welded inside USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757), the National Security Cutter named in honor of her grandfather, John Allen Midgett. Pictured with O’Neal are (left to right) Capt. Christopher Webb, commanding officer, U.S. Coast Guard Project Resident Office Gulf Coast; Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias; and Jack Beard, a structural welder at Ingalls (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«The National Security Cutter Program is vital to our Coast Guard, our country and to Ingalls Shipbuilding», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «Today, we lay the foundation upon which this great ship will be built. The Midgett, like her sister ships, is being built to the highest quality standards with outstanding cost and schedule performance, and the NSC team is energized to make this one the best yet».

The ship is named to honor John Allen Midgett, who was awarded the silver cup by the U.K. Board of Trade in 1918 for the renowned rescue of 42 British sailors aboard the British tanker Mirlo after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of North Carolina. He was also awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1924. Midgett was a senior enlisted member of the U.S. Lifesaving Service when it merged with the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to become today’s U.S. Coast Guard.

Jazania O’Neal, Midgett’s granddaughter and the ship’s sponsor, spoke today, proclaiming Midgett’s keel to be «truly and fairly laid». O’Neal’s initials were welded onto a keel plate by Jack Beard, a structural welder at Ingalls.

«For my grandfather to be memorialized as the namesake for this ship, in the company of the seven other Legend-class ship namesakes, surpasses validation of our heritage on a worldwide scale», O’Neal said. «We wish you well throughout the remaining construction of this fine ship, and we look forward to seeing you at the christening».

Ingalls has delivered six NSCs to the U.S. Coast Guard, and two more are currently under construction. In addition to USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757), the seventh NSC, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), is scheduled to deliver in 2018. In December 2016, Ingalls received a $486 million fixed-price incentive contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to build a ninth National Security Cutter – USCGC Stone (WMSL-758).

«The entire Coast Guard team is appreciative of the Ingalls Shipbuilding team», said Captain Christopher Webb, commanding officer, U.S. Coast Guard Project Resident Office Gulf Coast. «We rely on your talents, skills and masterful crafts to provide the NSCs we utilize to complete our many missions around the world. NSC 8 reached its start fabrication milestone just over 14 and a half months ago, and remains ahead of production schedule. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the continued emphasis on quality, while maximizing NSC completeness improvements indicative of the planning, hard work, integration and shipbuilding excellence here».

Legend-Class National Security Cutters are the flagships of the U.S. Coast Guard. They are the most technologically advanced ships in the Coast Guard’s fleet, with capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national security missions. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 nautical miles/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120. The Legend class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness.

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons/4,572 metric tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	110
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Ship list

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Bertholf	WMSL-750	03-29-2005	09-29-2006	08-04-2008
Waesche	WMSL-751	09-11-2006	07-12-2008	05-07-2010
Stratton	WMSL-752	07-20-2009	07-23-2010	03-31-2012
Hamilton	WMSL-753	09-05-2012	08-10-2013	12-06-2014
James	WMSL-754	05-17-2013	05-03-2014	08-08-2015
Munro	WMSL-755	10-07-2013	09-12-2015
Kimball	WMSL-756	03-04-2016	12-17-2016
Midgett	WMSL-757	01-27-2017
Stone	WMSL-758

Navy

Ninth NSC

September 4, 2016 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on August 30 received an $88.2 million fixed-price contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to purchase long-lead materials for a ninth National Security Cutter (NSC).

Munro, the sixth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC) built at Ingalls Shipbuilding, spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico testing all of the ship’s systems (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«NSC 9 will build on the performance record of her predecessors in the Legend class», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «Coast Guard leadership has stated these ships help fill a need to bolster front-line operations in the fight against crime, especially drug interdictions. Ingalls is proud and honored to be providing this most advanced fleet of cutters to enable the Coast Guard to perform its daily missions in protecting America’s shores».

The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major items for NSC 9 (WMSL-758), such as steel, the main propulsion systems, generators, electrical switchboards and major castings.

«This long-lead material contract gives our shipbuilders the ability to immediately start work on the ship in anticipation of the construction contract», said Kari Wilkinson, Ingalls’ vice president of program management. «This advance procurement helps us get started on the next great ship in this program».

Ingalls has delivered the first five NSCs, the flagship of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters, which entered service during the 1960s. Ingalls’ sixth NSC, USCGC Munro (WMSL-755), is scheduled for acceptance sea trials and delivery in the fourth quarter of 2016. The seventh ship, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter, and the keel for the eighth, USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757), is scheduled to be laid later this year.

NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 tons/4,572 metric tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 nautical miles/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the High-Endurance Cutter. The cutter includes 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. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. This class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons/4,572 metric tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	120
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Ship list

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Bertholf	WMSL-750	03-29-2005	09-29-2006	08-04-2008
Waesche	WMSL-751	09-11-2006	07-12-2008	05-07-2010
Stratton	WMSL-752	07-20-2009	07-23-2010	03-31-2012
Hamilton	WMSL-753	09-05-2012	08-10-2013	12-06-2014
James	WMSL-754	05-17-2013	05-03-2014	08-08-2015
Munro	WMSL-755	10-07-2013	09-12-2015
Kimball	WMSL-756	03-04-2016
Midgett	WMSL-757
	WMSL-758

Munro (NSC 6) Builder’s Sea Trials

Navy

Keel Authentication of
Cutter Kimball

March 5, 2016 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel for the company’s seventh U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), on March 4, 2016.

Ship Sponsor Kay Webber Cochran (center) sketches her initials onto the keel plate of the National Security Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756). Also pictured are her husband, Senator Thad Cochran (left), R-Mississippi, and Ingalls Shipbuilding employee Jerry Wesley (right), who welded the initials onto the plate (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«Kimball, like her sister ships, is being built to the highest-quality standards with outstanding cost and schedule performance, and the NSC team is energized to make this one the best yet», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «The National Security Cutter is the most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard fleet. And the ships are truly making a difference – from outstanding performance at Rim of the Pacific exercises to the continuous record-breaking drug interdictions – the NSCs are truly making America safer. It is our honor and privilege to be building these fine ships».

The ship is named in honor of Sumner Kimball, who organized and directed the U.S. Life Saving Service and was a pioneer in organizing all of the different facilities associated with the service into what eventually would become the U.S. Coast Guard.

Admiral Paul Zukunft, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. «I especially want to thank the shipbuilders because what you do today truly matters», he said. «These National Security Cutters are helping disrupt a flow of crime. Last night, the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL-750) seized its third self-propelled semi-submersible, interdicting over six tons of cocaine. That’s why we want Kimball to get to sea as soon as possible, and I know when this ship is ready, she will be ready to answer all bells».

Kay Webber Cochran, wife of Senator Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, is the ship sponsor and had her initials welded onto a steel plate to signify the keel had been «truly and fairly laid».

«To all of the outstanding folks who work so hard on these impressive National Security Cutters – the engineers, the welders, the machinists, the metal workers, the electricians and more – your excellent work is recognized internationally», Mrs. Cochran said. «Your service and pride in workmanship are the reason why Mississippi has such a long-storied shipbuilding tradition of which we are so very proud».

The fifth U.S. Coast Guard NSC, James (WMSL 754), has successfully completed acceptance trials in early May 2015. The Ingalls-built NSC spent two full days in the Gulf of Mexico proving the ship’s systems (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	120
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

The National Security Cutter is the first new design for the service in 20 years, and features enhanced capabilities that will allow the eight-ship class to replace 12 aging high-endurance cutters that have been in service for 40 years

Ship list

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Bertholf	WMSL-750	03-29-2005	09-29-2006	08-04-2008
Waesche	WMSL-751	09-11-2006	07-12-2008	05-07-2010
Stratton	WMSL-752	07-20-2009	07-23-2010	03-31-2012
Hamilton	WMSL-753	09-05-2012	08-10-2013	12-06-2014
James	WMSL-754	05-17-2013	05-03-2014	08-08-2015
Munro	WMSL-755	10-07-2013	09-12-2015
Kimball	WMSL-756	03-04-2016
Midgett	WMSL-757

Navy

Christening of Munro

November 15, 2015 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company’s sixth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), Munro (WMSL-755), on November 14, in front of nearly 600 guests. Julie Sheehan, the great niece of the ship’s namesake, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro, is the ship’s sponsor. At the culmination of the ceremony, she smashed a bottle across the bow of the ship, proclaiming, «May God bless this ship and all who sail in her».

Ship’s Sponsor Julie Sheehan smashes a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow of the National Security Cutter Munro (WMSL-755). Also pictured (left to right) are Captain Thomas King, the ship’s prospective commanding officer; Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft; and Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

Admiral Paul Zukunft, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was the ceremony’s principal speaker. «I couldn’t help but notice when I drove into the shipyard today the banner that read, ‘What you do today matters,’» he said. «Nothing could be truer than what you do today at Huntington Ingalls, because 45 years from today – if not longer – this ship will continue to serve our nation. Many of us will have crossed the bar by that time, but this ship will live on».

Munro died heroically on September 27, 1942, on Guadalcanal. Having volunteered to evacuate a detachment of U.S. Marines who were facing annihilation by a large and unanticipated enemy force, he succeeded in safely extricating them and in doing so was mortally wounded. For his heroic and selfless actions in the completion of this rescue mission, Munro was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He is the Coast Guard’s sole recipient of the award. Ingalls has delivered five NSCs, and three more, including Munro, are currently under construction.

«Our Ingalls/Coast Guard team continues to get stronger, proving that serial production and stable requirements have a direct effect on improving quality, cost and schedule, and this program has been an excellent one», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «The National Security Cutters are clearly changing the game in how to protect our country. Not only does that make us proud, but more importantly, it makes our enemies nervous. It is our job to build a ship that protects the brave men and women who go into harm’s way. And it is a job our shipbuilders take very seriously».

Legend-class NSCs are the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet. Designed to replace the 378‐foot/115-meter Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters that entered service during the 1960s, they are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 long tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 nautical miles/13,809 miles/22,224 km, 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 robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs play an important role enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Christens Sixth National Security Cutter, Munro

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	120
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Ship list

USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750)

USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751)

USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752)

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753)

USCGC James (WMSL-754)

USCGC Munro (WMSL-755)

USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756)

USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757)

Navy

Munro in Dry Dock

September 17, 2015 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division launched the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest National Security Cutter (NSC), Munro (WMSL-755), on September 12, 2015. Munro is the company’s sixth NSC and is expected to deliver by the end of next year.

The National Security Cutter Munro (WMSL-755) sits in the floating dry dock at Ingalls Shipbuilding prior to its launch on Saturday (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«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 via Ingalls’ 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 on September 12 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 (WMSL-757), 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 September 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/115-meter Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s, they are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km, 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 robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs play an important role enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Facts

Displacement	4,500 long tons
Length	418 feet/127 m
Beam	54 feet/16 m
Speed	28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range	12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance	60 days
Crew	120
Equipped with	Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
	6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
	3D air search radar
	2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
	A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Ship list

USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750)

USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751)

USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752)

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753)

USCGC James (WMSL-754)

USCGC Munro (WMSL-755)

USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756)

USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757)

Munro was translated via Ingalls’ 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

Navy

Sea Trials

April 10, 2015 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced (April 7, 2015) the successful completion of builder’s sea trials for the company’s fifth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), USCGC Joshua James (WMSL-754). The ship, built at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico testing all of the ship’s systems.

The fifth Ingalls-built U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, USCGC Joshua James (WMSL-754), sailed the Gulf of Mexico last week for her successful builder’s sea trials. Photo by Lance Davis/HII

«Any time we get the opportunity to take a new ship to sea, it is always something special, and this trip was no exception», said Jim French, Ingalls’ NSC program manager. «Our shipbuilding team continues to incorporate learning from ship to ship, making this a very stable program across the board. We’ve got a good NSC core team who work the same areas of each ship, and we are seeing the benefits associated with this serial production. It’s the most affordable way to build a class of ships».

Ingalls’ test and trials team led the sea trials and conducted extensive testing of the propulsion, electrical, damage control, anchor handling, small boat operations and combat systems. This culminated in the successful completion of a four-hour, full-power propulsion run on James.

«Our Ingalls/Coast Guard team worked tirelessly during the three days, and the ship performed well», said Richard Schenk, Ingalls’ vice president, program management and test and trials. «The Ingalls operating crew performed more than 180 events and handled each one with the utmost professionalism. It is obvious to all who sailed on builder’s trials that NSC 5 is ready for her acceptance trials at the end of April».

Ingalls has delivered four NSCs and has three more, including James, under construction. A construction contract was just awarded for an eighth NSC last week.

The ship is named to honor Captain Joshua James, one of the world’s most celebrated lifesavers. His lifesaving experience began at age 15 when he joined the Massachusetts Humane Society. Over the years, he was credited for saving more than 600 lives until the time of his death at age 75. He was on duty with the U.S. Life-Saving Service, which later merged into the U.S. Coast Guard. «The NSC team is extremely efficient in everything they do, and they proved it this week», said Jim McKinney, Ingalls’ NSC program director. «We start every ship with the goal for it to be better than the last one, and the men and women working in this program have not disappointed. The Coast Guard will be getting an awesome ship when we deliver James in June».

National Security Cutters (NSCs), the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, are designed to replace the 378-foot/115-m Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters, which entered service during the 1960s. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-m beam and displace 4,500 long tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 nautical miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. The cutter includes an aft launch and recovery area for two Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. The Legend-class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Facts

Displacement: 4,500 long tons

Length: 418 feet/127 m

Beam: 54 feet/16 m

Speed: 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h

Range: 12,000 NM/22,224 km

Endurance: 60 days

Crew: 120

Equipped with: Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun; 6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns; 3D air search radar; 2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers; A stern launch ramp for mission boats

Navy

American Legend

April 5, 2015 Dmitry Shulgin

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $499.8 million fixed-price incentive contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to build an eighth National Security Cutter, USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757).

«We are performing extremely well in this program, proving the point that serial production is the most efficient and effective way to build complex military ships», said Jim French, Ingalls’ National Security Cutter program manager. «We continue to fold in learning for each ship we build, and the three under construction right now are tracking well because of this knowledge».

Ingalls has delivered four National Security Cutters to the Coast Guard and currently has three more under construction: USCGC James (WMSL-754), USCGC Munro (WMSL-755) and USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756). These ships will be delivered in 2015, 2016 and 2018, respectively. Midgett is scheduled to deliver in 2019.

It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. The Legend-class of cutters plays an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

NSCs have several features that enhance overall mission performance, including, CODAG propulsion for faster speeds, stern ramp launch and recovery for a combination of small boats 7 – 11 meters in length, and a very large flight deck with two hangars to accommodate helicopters or VUAVs

Facts

Displacement: 4,500 long tons

Length: 418 feet/127 m

Beam: 54 feet/16 m

Speed: 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h

Range: 12,000 NM/22,224 km

Endurance: 60 days

Crew: 120

Equipped with: Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun; 6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns; 3D air search radar; 2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers; A stern launch ramp for mission boats

USCG National Security Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) on sea trials, July 18, 2014

Modern weapons

Tag Archives: National Security Cutter

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Ninth NSC

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Keel Authentication of
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