US Coast Guard set to accelerate schedule of shipbuilding programmes
Rendering of the WLR on the left and the WLIC on the right. (Photo: Birdon America Inc)
With the funds provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Coast Guard will attempt to speed up the production of the Waterways Commerce and Fast Response cutters.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) recently disclosed its plans to accelerate the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) and the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) efforts as it will receive additional funds from FY2026 to FY2029 provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In an urgent need of capabilities, the service has been working with the suppliers of both programmes to speed up the production of vessels. Its strategy includes earmarking extra resources to those initiatives and placing orders ahead of schedule to quicken the deliveries.
The Reconciliation Bill allocated US$1 billion to procure Sentinel-class FRCs. The branch said it “has initiated
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
-
![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.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
