Austal USA starts work on first of 11 Heritage-class OPCs

Construction has begun on the first of 11 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) to be built by Austal USA for the US Coast Guard (USCG).

The cutters will be built at Austal USA’s ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, with the first OPC, USCGC Pickering (OPC 919), set to be the fifth OPC to be delivered after Austal USA was awarded a contract by the USCG for Stage 2 of the OPC programme. Stage 1 is being undertaken by Eastern Shipbuilding Group and consist of four vessels, the first of which, USCGC Argus, was launched in October 2023.

The 360-foot OPCs will have a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period. They will primarily conduct missions beyond 12 nautical miles from shore.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the OPC programme is aiming to “bridge the capability gap between the National Security Cutter, which patrols the open ocean and the Fast Response Cutter, which operates closer to shore”.

Austal USA recently broke ground on a new assembly building featuring three bays and 192,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space. Two of the new bays will be created specifically for erecting the OPCs.

Related Programmes in Defence Insight

USGC Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC 1-4)

Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC 5 to OPC 15) [USCG]

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

Heritage Class