Construction to start on US Coast Guard’s fourth Heritage-class cutter

Construction to start on US Coast Guard’s fourth Heritage-class cutter

EMERGENCY SERVICES WEEK
Rendering of a US Coast Guard Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

The Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Florida, has been awarded a contract to begin construction of the US Coast Guard’s fourth Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC), the future USCGC Rush.

The OPCs will replace the coast guard’s older medium endurance cutters. ESG is a prime contractor of the Heritage-class cutter program.

The 360-foot (110-metre) vessel and its sister OPCs are designed to provide a capability bridge between the coast guard’s Legend-class national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the Sentinel-class fast response cutters, which operate closer to shore.

Once completed, the future Rush will be able to carry an MH-65 helicopter and three over-the-horizon small boats.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on emergency services vessels.


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