US Coast Guard to invest more than $5 billion in the Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutter
US Coast Guard Cutter Argus. (Photo: USCG)
From FY2026 to FY2029, the OPC programme will receive funds from the Reconciliation Bill and the Coast Guard annual budget.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) intends to invest more than US$5 billion in the building of Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) from FY2026 to FY2029. The funds are part of the service annual procurement budget and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Under the Reconciliation Bill, the branch received the $4.3 billion to accelerate the construction of Stage 2 OPCs. In a press release issued on 1st August, the USCG remarked that the resources of the Act will enable “to build out the remaining nine Stage 2 cutters well ahead of schedule”.
Meanwhile, in its FY2026 budget proposal, the
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
-
![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 effort designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![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.
