Incumbent loses out as Austal USA wins follow-on Offshore Patrol Cutter contract
Offshore Patrol Cutter production at Eastern Shipbuilding. (Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding)
Austal will leverage its new steel shipbuilding facility to build up to 11 Heritage-class OPCs for the US Coast Guard.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has selected Alabama-based Austal USA to build up to 11 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) over the incumbent, Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding.
The contract, awarded on 30 June, is worth an initial $208.26 million to construct the fifth OPC, which will be the first of the class not built at Eastern Shipbuilding’s Panama City yard.
On April 26, Eastern Shipbuilding announced the USCG had awarded a contract for the construction of the fourth Heritage-class OPC, the future USCGC Rush.
If the USCG exercises all options within the new contract, building the 11 ships would be
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance]()
Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance
Success with the US Army’s Black Widow programme may have strengthened Red Cat’s international position, but executives believe the next growth opportunity lies in uncrewed surface vessels.
-
![The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come]()
The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come
Designed as a multi-role frigate with both anti-submarine and air defence capabilities, Naval Group’s medium-sized FDI frigate increasingly stands out as a success story in an industry wrought with delays.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
