US Coast Guard commissions tenth Legend-class national security cutter

By Baird Maritime - April 25, 2024.

The US Coast Guard cutter Calhoun is moored to the pier on the morning of its commissioning ceremony, April 20, 2024, in North Charleston, South Carolina. — *Photo: US Coast Guard/Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Hillard*

The US Coast Guard commissioned its newest Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) during a commissioning ceremony at Coast Guard Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, April 20.

USCGC Calhoun is the tenth Legend-class cutter to join the coast guard and is the fourth NSC to be homeported in North Charleston alongside USCGC Hamilton, USCGC James, and USCGC Stone.

Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division, the NSC honours Charles L. Calhoun, the first master chief petty officer of the US Coast Guard.

As with the coast guard’s other NSCs, Calhoun will be capable of embarking and supporting a wide range of coast guard, navy and NATO manned and unmanned aircraft as well as small boats. Missions will include drug interdiction, anti-illegal fishing patrols, disaster relief, and defence support operations.

The cutter has a length of 418 feet (127.4 metres), a crew complement of 124, a maximum speed of 28 knots, and a range of 12,000 nautical miles.