Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, has cut the first steel for the future USCGC Ingham, the third Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) slated for the US Coast Guard.
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 Ingham will be able to carry an MH-65 helicopter and three over-the-horizon small boats.
