The Coast Guard commissioned its fifth national security cutter (NSC), the James, at Coast Guard Base Boston on Aug. 8, the service said Monday.
The newest Legend-class NSC is set to be stationed in Charleston, S.C., with the fourth NSC, the Hamilton. The first three NSCs are stationed in Alameda, Calif.
Photo: U.S. Coast Guard
The cutter is named after Joshua James, who served for 60 years with the Massachusetts Humans Society and the U.S. Life-Saving Service.
“Joshua James began his lifesaving career at 15 and saved more than 600 lives. What better namesake for a ship and crew that will serve our nation with pride for the next half-century saving lives, stopping smugglers, maintaining safety and security in the Arctic and wherever national objectives may require,” Adm. Paul Zukunft, Coast Guard Commandant, said at the commissioning ceremony.
Each NSC is 418 feet long with a range of 12,000 nautical miles. The Coast Guard is acquiring eight NSCs to replace 12 aging 378-foot Hamilton-class high endurance cutters.
The sixth NSC, Munro, is scheduled for christening in November 2015 and will be stationed in Alameda. Fabrication for the seventh cutter, the Kimball, began in January 2015 with delivery expected in 2018. The contract for the eighth NSC, Midgett, was awarded in March 2015 with expected delivery 2019.
The NSCs are being produced by shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII].