The Coast Guard and shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group on Friday, October 27 will launch the service’s first new medium-endurance cutter in decades, the Offshore Patrol Cutter ARGUS (WMSM-915) at a ceremony at the company’s shipyard in Panama City, Fla.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan said on Tuesday that the launch is “an incredible milestone” for the shipyard, which suffered at tremendous blow in October 2018 when it was hit by a hurricane that eventually forced Eastern Shipbuilding to seek contract relief and delay the program.
Prior to the launch of the 360-foot ARGUS, the cutter will be christened. Construction of the ship is more than 80 percent complete and delivery is currently slated for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, about three years later than originally scheduled. In addition to delays caused by the hurricane, the Coast Guard later modified the OPC contract so that the Athena combat weapons system and multi-mode radar will be installed during the construction phase rather than after delivery, which added to the delays.
Eastern Shipbuilding is under contract for the first four OPCs, all of which are in various stages of construction. The company originally was contracted for the first 11 vessels but the work was renegotiated to four ships as part of the contract relief package.
The Coast Guard conducted a stage 2 competition for OPCs five through 15 that was won by Austal. Eastern Shipbuilding, which lost out in the second round of the competition, is challenging that award in federal court.
The Coast Guard currently plans to acquire 25 OPCs. The Heritage-class medium-endurance OPCs are replacing 210-foot and 270-foot cutters that are 30 to 50 years old.