The Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII]-built National Security Cutter James has successfully completed builder’s trials, a key milestone in preparing the fifth new high-endurance cutter for its acceptance trials later this month by the Coast Guard.
The three day builder’s trials in the Gulf of Mexico allowed the company’s test team to conduct extensive testing of the propulsion, electrical, damage control, anchor handling, small boat operations and combat systems. The testing included a four-hour, full propulsion run.
“Our Ingalls-Coast Guard team worked tirelessly during the three days, and the ship performed well,” Richard Schenk, vice president, Program Management and Test and Trials for HII’s Ingalls shipbuilding division, said in a statement. “The Ingalls operating crew performed more than 180 events and handled each one with the utmost professionalism. It is obvious to all who sailed on builder’s trials that NSC 5 is ready for her acceptance trials at the end of April.”
The acceptance trials will be conducted by the Coast Guard and the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey and are the last major milestone before delivery.
The James is scheduled to be delivered in June and commissioned on Aug. 8 in Boston before sailing to its homeport in Charleston, S.C.
HII last week received the production contract to build the eighth and final NSC. The 418-foot Legend-class vessels are replacing 12 378-foot Hamilton-class high endurance cutters that began service during the 1960s.