The Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Florida, has been awarded a contract to begin construction of the US Coast Guard's fourth Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC), the future USCGC Rush.
The OPCs will replace the coast guard's older medium endurance cutters. ESG is a prime contractor of the Heritage-class cutter program.
The 360-foot (110-metre) vessel and its sister OPCs are designed to provide a capability bridge between the coast guard's Legend-class national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the Sentinel-class fast response cutters, which operate closer to shore.
Once completed, the future Rush will be able to carry an MH-65 helicopter and three over-the-horizon small boats.