Eastern Shipbuilding cuts steel for US Coast Guard’s first OPC

Eastern Shipbuilding has cut the first steel for the future USCGC Argus, the first of a planned 25 Heritage-class offshore patrol cutters (OPCs) to be built for the US Coast Guard.

The vessel will have a length of 110 metres, a width of 16 metres, a draught of 5.2 metres, and a displacement of 3,500 tonnes.

Two MAN 16V28 7,280kW diesel engines will propel the future Argus to speeds in excess of 22 knots.