The Coast Guard on Thursday selected Eastern Shipbuilding Group as its contractor over three rivals for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, awarding the company $2.4 billion for detailed design of the medium-endurance vessel.
Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding is a surprise winner, beating out Bollinger Shipyards, which is currently building the service’s Fast Response Cutter, and General Dynamics [GD], a major shipbuilder for the Navy and commercial tankers. Earlier in the program Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] was dropped from the competition. HII is building the Coast Guard’s fleet of high endurance National Security Cutters.
The Coast Guard said on the FedBizOpps.gov site that Eastern’s award begins the Phase II effort of the OPC program. The contract includes priced options for the lead OPC and up to eight follow-on vessels.
The detail design effort will continue through delivery of the lead OPC, which is estimated to be in FY ’21.
The Coast Guard currently plans to buy 25 OPCs. The program is the service’s top acquisition priority.