Rolls-Royce wins USCG OPC propulsion contract
Rolls-Royce will deliver propulsion equipment for the US Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) under a contract with the Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the company announced on 28 February.
The company will supply equipment for the fleet’s first nine vessels under the contract, with an option to add two more.
Rolls-Royce will supply controllable pitch propellers, shaft lines and Promas rudders, bow thrusters, steering gear, fin stabilisers and MTU marine generator sets. The four EPA Tier 3 compliant MTU 12-cylinder Series 4000 (1000kW) generator sets will provide each vessel with electrical and loiter propulsion power.
The new vessels will replace the USCG’s fleet of Medium Endurance Cutters, providing a capability bridge between the National Security Cutter fleet and the Fast Response Cutter fleet. Construction of the OPCs will begin in 2018 with delivery of the first vessel scheduled for 2021.
Sam Cameron, senior vice president, sales and business development, Rolls-Royce, said: ‘The OPC is the US Coast Guard’s largest shipbuilding programme and we are extremely proud to be confirmed as a major supplier to Eastern Shipbuilding Group on a project that will transform future capability.
‘This contract marks one of the most comprehensive Rolls-Royce systems packages ever to be selected for a coast guard vessel, and we’re looking forward to delivering and integrating our marine technology into this new and highly capable ship.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement]()
Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement
The Indian Navy's P17B programme is expected to combine greater weapons capacity with a competitive domestic construction model, although key systems could remain dependent on international supply chains.
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
