USCG receives seventh NSC
The US Coast Guard received its seventh National Security Cutter (NSC), Kimball, in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 19 September.
Kimball is scheduled for commissioning at its Honolulu homeport in January 2019 and will be the first NSC to be stationed there.
The NSCs feature advanced C4ISR equipment; aviation support facilities; and stern cutter boat launch. The 418ft cutters have an endurance of 60 to 90 days and can serve as operational-level headquarters for complex law-enforcement, defence and national security missions involving coast guard and multiple partner agency participation.
The NSCs will be replacing the 378ft high-endurance cutters of the 1960s-era.
A total of six NSCs are currently in service. Coast Guard cutters Hamilton and James are stationed in Charleston, South Carolina and cutters Bertholf, Waesche, Stratton and Munro are stationed in Alameda, California. Midgett, the eighth cutter, is planned for a 2019 delivery; it will be the second NSC stationed in Honolulu. The ninth cutter, Stone, is slated for delivery in 2021. The coast guard awarded a contract in March 2018 for long lead time materials for the tenth NSC.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Sweden’s decision on four new warships inches closer as it eyes UK, France and Spain
Sweden decided last year that it wanted a significantly larger warship for its Luleå Class programme than originally planned, with three likely contenders that could potentially deliver within the country’s tight schedule.
-
How the use of artificial intelligence will affect the US Coast Guard’s acquisitions
The USCG is pursuing AI tools to improve the way the service conducts its procurement and fielding processes.
-
US Coast Guard pursues solutions to increase maritime domain dominance
The USCG is seeking technologies, services and applications to better connect its assets and speed up the decision-making process.
-
Canadian Coast Guard’s OOSV delivery is “major milestone” in fleet modernisation
The Polar Class 6 platform is the largest CCG science-dedicated vessel and will operate on the country’s east coast.