Austal USA Receives Contract for Second OPC

[By: Austal USA]

Austal USA has received a contract option award from the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of the second Stage 2 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and acquisition of long lead-time material to support construction of a third Stage 2 OPC. The $273 million option is part of a contract that includes options for up to 11 OPCs with a potential value of $3.3 billion.

“The exercise of this option is a strong sign of the successful partnership between the Coast Guard and our shipbuilding team on the OPC program,” commented Austal USA President Michelle Kruger. “This award is an important step in moving into serial production and delivering this critical capability.  It is a testament to the capabilities of our talented shipbuilders at Austal USA.”

Austal USA began building the company’s first OPC, Pickering, last summer.  All of Pickering’s steel modules are under construction in Austal USA’s steel assembly line.  Construction on the second cutter will begin this week. Progress on the OPC program is occurring concurrently with a major facility with $750M in construction underway to increase capacity for both surface vessel and submarine manufacturing.  The OPC joins the U.S. Navy’s Towing Salvage and Rescue (T-ATS) and Landing Craft Utility (LCU) programs in serial production in the company’s Mobile ship manufacturing facility. 

The 360-foot OPC will provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence conducting a variety of missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue.  With a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period, each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups, serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.