USCG Cancels 11th NSC

[Ol Paint]

The DHS announced the cancellation of the construction contract for the 11th (and final) national security cutter.

Quote

https://news.usni.org/2025/06/05/ingalls-coast-guard-scrap-11th-national-security-cutter-over-contract-impasse-says-hii

The Coast Guard and HII Ingalls Shipbuilding agreed to stop construction on what was set to be the last Legend-class National Security Cutter, a company spokesperson told USNI News on Thursday.

The proposed USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760) was set to be the 11th in the line of the 4,600-ton cutters that are the service’s most capable surface vessel.

According to Ingalls, the company and the Coast Guard settled a contract dispute in late May over the construction of Friedman. The Coast Guard issued the contract for that cutter, along with USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759), as part of a $930 million contract option for the two ships.

While Calhoun delivered in 2023, Friedman stalled sometime after HII announced the official start of fabrication in 2021. At the time, the Coast Guard expected the ship to be delivered in 2024.

I've been curious what was going on with this ship, since the class was averaging about 2 years, 3 months from keel-laying to delivery and there hadn't been any announcements since 2021 for the final ship.  What is more puzzling is that Ingalls appears to be maintaining a steady cadence on DDG-51 construction, which would seem to point to issues unique to the NSC program.  But I haven't seen any more detailed information.

It looks like the USCG is putting its eggs in the OPC basket.  In my opinion, that's a poor choice, since the OPC/WMSMs are somewhat shorter (at 360ft long vs the NSC at 418ft), meaning they need more pier space than the 210'/270' medium endurance cutters, but displaces the same 4,500tons as the longer NSC, is capable of 10,700nm range (vs. NSC at 12,000nm), is 5.5kts slower at 22.5kt (vs. 28+kt), and carries the same complement of ~130 sailors.

In addition, the lead ship of that class hasn't delivered, yet, in spite of starting construction in 2019, having her keel laid 28 April 2020, and being launched 27 October 2023.  In other words, it has taken over 3.5 years for Eastern to go from keel-laying to launch while Ingalls constructed and delivered the first 10k ton DDG-51 Flight III vessel in 3.4 years.  The class average construction time for the National Security Cutters was 2.4 years and hulls 3-10 averaged 2.2 years, keel-laying to delivery.

Austal USA is constructing OPC #5 and follow (WMSM-919 onwards), but they just started construction a year ago.  At least they demonstrated a construction learning curve on the LCS-2 class and JHSVs, so hopefully they can pull the OPC program out of the dumpster.

Doug

P.S. Cross-posted to Warships1.

[Ol Paint]

And now two OPCs have had their contracts suspended:

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https://maritime-executive.com/article/report-uscg-suspended-construction-on-two-more-cutters

The U.S. Coast Guard, which has been struggling with its new ship efforts, has reportedly placed a temporary stop work order on two cutters under construction in its Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Class. Reports of the pause come a day after the Department of Homeland Security announced it had canceled a contract for another cutter in its Legend-class national security cutter and the Department has promised to overhaul the operations of the USCG under its Force Design 2028 project.

News of the pause was reported by Defense Daily which wrote that work on the third and fourth vessels underway at Eastern Shipbuilding is being delayed as issues regarding funding and delays in the timing of the program are underway. Work on the third cutter, to be named, Ingham, has been underway since mid-2022 when the keel was laid, and steel cutting is underway for number four, USCG Rush.

It's a suspension, not a cancellation at this point.  Still, not good news for Eastern.  As noted, above, the OPCs at Eastern have been dragging along, although I note in surfing the shipyard's website that they appear to have been steadily working and delivering on commercial contracts for various vessels in the meantime.  It makes me wonder what is going on with the Coast Guard.

In other news, apparently the administration is working on creating a secretary position for the Coast Guard.  

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https://maritime-executive.com/article/trump-administration-wants-coast-guard-to-have-its-own-service-secretary

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has signed off on a revamp of the U.S. Coast Guard's management structure, starting with a long-discussed plan to hire a service secretary for USCG headquarters. The U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force all have civilian service secretaries appointed by the White House; the Coast Guard - part of the U.S. armed forces by statute, but housed within the Department of Homeland Security - lacks a secretary of its own, and is led by a uniformed officer. 

Doug

[Ivanhoe]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/eyeing-arctic-dominance-trump-bill-earmarks-86-billion-us-coast-guard-2025-07-03/
 

Quote

 

LOS ANGELES, July 3 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending bill earmarks more than $8.6 billion to increase the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker fleet in the Arctic, where Washington hopes to counter rising Russian and Chinese dominance.

The funding includes $4.3 billion for up to three new heavy Coast Guard Polar Security Cutters, $3.5 billion for medium Arctic Security Cutters, and $816 million for procurement of additional light and medium icebreaking cutters.

 

 

[X-Files]

Seems like they need another ice breaker.

[Ol Paint]

.gov, never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Doug 

[Ivanhoe]

Icebreakers will be essential in efficiently annexing Canada.

 

[17thfabn]

On 7/12/2025 at 1:14 PM, Ivanhoe said:

Icebreakers will be essential in efficiently annexing Canada.

And iceland & Greenland

[Stuart Galbraith]

And Gaza.

[Ivanhoe]

Trump is planning to force Britain to annex Gaza. You heard it here first.

Of course, historically it would make more sense to return Gaza to Turkey.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Nah, it got offered to it once before as a naval base. Who would want it, it doesn't even have any chip shops.

[Ivanhoe]

You could always repurpose some Indian immigrants to set up shop there.

 

[DB]

Didn't Trump suggest turning the whole strip into a tourist resort?

I'm sure it could work as the new Ibiza.

[Ol Paint]

Returning the topic to USCG Cutters, instead of the FFZ dreck you guys are shoveling:

https://news.usni.org/2025/07/29/bollinger-teams-with-finnish-canadian-yards-for-coast-guard-medium-icebreaker-bid

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Bollinger Teams with Finnish, Canadian Yards for Coast Guard Medium Icebreaker Bid

Sam LaGrone

July 29, 2025 1:30 PM - Updated: July 29, 2025 2:24 PM

 

Louisiana shipbuilder Bollinger is teaming with Finnish and Canadian shipyards for a bid to build the new class of Arctic Security Cutter for the Coast Guard, USNI News has learned.

Bollinger, Finnish companies Rauma Shipyards and Aker Arctic and Canadian company Seaspan Shipyards are teaming to bid for the medium icebreaker for the Coast Guard. The team will use a design developed by Seaspan and Aker.

“The strategic partnership leverages the trilateral ICE Pact framework between the United States, Canada and Finland to answer President [Donald] Trump’s call to rapidly grow a modernized U.S. icebreaking fleet, with delivery of the first vessel within 36 months of award, and ensures the ASC program is anchored in American shipbuilding and transitions quickly to full U.S. production, consistent with President Trump’s ‘America First’ priority,” reads a statement from Bollinger.

--SNIP--

The multi-purpose icebreaker design from Seaspan and Aker is designed to break ice up to four feet thick with a range of 12,000 nautical and displace about 9,000 tons. The Canadian Coast Guard is purchasing up to 16 of the Seaspan and Aker multi-purpose icebreaker design for about $10 billion with a primary mission of breaking ice in land waterways, according the Canadian government.

Bollinger said the partnership could deliver the first hull in 36 months, relying on Rauma’s yard in Finland to build the first hull.

Doug

[Argus]

I have suggested elsewhere that annexing Canada would be the most effective way to get icebreakers for the US, but everyone thinks I'm joking. 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Well on the basis they havent acquired any new ones since the 1960's, you likely arent wrong.

Probably just as well the USN arent procuring them, they would want railguns and VLS tubes in them.

[Ivanhoe]

Don't forget towed sonar, well deck, and ASAT missiles.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

'Goddamit, why dont we just call it a harded Frigate!'

'We cant do that, thats another procurement team!' 

 

[R011]

20 hours ago, Argus said:

I have suggested elsewhere that annexing Canada would be the most effective way to get icebreakers for the US, but everyone thinks I'm joking. 

It would get more ice breakers, but the old USCG and new ex-CCG ships would have both the old US and new ex-Canadian arctic to patrol.

[Yama]

On 8/13/2025 at 3:27 AM, Argus said:

I have suggested elsewhere that annexing Canada would be the most effective way to get icebreakers for the US, but everyone thinks I'm joking. 

I guess Canada is safe...for now:

U.S. and Finland Reach $6 Billion Deal to Build Up to 11 Icebreakers

[Ivanhoe]

I guess we must wait several years for Operation Nice Cap to kick off. 

On the positive side, after Operation Nice Cap runs to completion and the Coasties round up all the Beluga whales, the market price of top-shelf caviar should come down quite a bit. #winning

 

[sunday]

You know belugas are mammals, so no caviar inside.

[Yama]

I'm sure the new administration redefines what is a mammal and what is not 🤓

[Leo Niehorster]

Please excuse my ignorance. 

Isn't the CG more like a (mainly cutter-equipped) coastal navy. So why does the CG need a 4,600-ton ship anyhow? Why does it need long-range or high-seas capability? Or doesn't the USN want to do ice breaker missions?

This is more like a light cruiser than a WWII cutter (between 1200 and 2300 tons) for WWII damaged freaks like me.

Leo

[Tim Sielbeck]

1 hour ago, Leo Niehorster said:

So why does the CG need a 4,600-ton ship anyhow? Why does it need long-range or high-seas capability?

Leo

To patrol the waters of the US's overseas territories, such as American Samoa.

[Ol Paint]

As Tim Sielbeck says, the large cutters are for areas  with extensive sea frontiers and the associated range of sea states.  Homeports for the National Security Cutters:

• Bertholf, Waesche, Stratton, Munro - Alameda, CA.  
• Hamilton, James, Stone, Calhoun, Friedman - Charleston, SC
• Kimball, Midgett - Honolulu, HI

It's routine for these ships to be operating in places like the Gulf of Alaska (1,800nm from Alameda), Bering Sea (3,000nm from Alameda), American Samoa (2500nm one-way from Honolulu), USVI & Puerto Rico (1,400nm from Charleston), and Guam/Wake/Marianas/Etc (4,000nm from Honolulu).  The US EEZ areas include:

Quote

The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the U.S., including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over which the United States exercises sovereignty. 

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eez.html

Not only do the ships have to get to these areas, they have to patrol them, and they need to be capable of executing their mission in all weather, including major storms.  This is why the NSCs have an endurance of 12,000nm and an expected stores endurance of 90 days.  As the unofficial USCG motto goes, "you have to go out, you don't have to come back."  This also does not include assisting and/or cooperating with other allied nations.

Frankly, I think the USCG should've at least replaced the 378s on a 1-for-1 basis (12 ships), if not increasing the numbers.  

Doug