Austal USA begins construction on USCGC Ingham patrol cutter

Austal USA has commenced construction on the USCGC Ingham, the third Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) for the U.S. Coast Guard. The project is being executed at the company’s manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama.

The OPC program is designed to recapitalize the Coast Guard’s aging medium endurance cutter fleet, serving as a capability bridge between national security cutters and fast response cutters. The 360-foot vessels are intended to support missions including law enforcement, search and rescue, and drug or migrant interdiction. They are also designed to support Arctic objectives by regulating commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.

The contract for these cutters includes options for up to 11 vessels, with a potential total value of $3.3 billion. Each cutter features a 60-day endurance period and a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots, allowing them to function as mobile command-and-control platforms during surge operations such as hurricane responses.