First steel cut for US Coast Guard's fifth Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter

Austal USA has cut the first steel to be used in the construction of a new Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) ordered by the US Coast Guard. The future USCGC Pickering will be the fifth Heritage-class cutter overall as well as the first of seven ships in the class to be built by Austal.

The 360-foot (110-metre) OPC will typically conduct its primary missions beyond 12 nautical miles from shore and will be employed anywhere that US national interests require the coast guard’s authorities and capabilities.

The Heritage-class cutters will provide the majority of the coast guard’s offshore presence conducting a variety of missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue (SAR).

With a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period, each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups, serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents, and other events.

The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.