USCG receives sixth National Security Cutter from Ingalls Shipbuilding

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has taken delivery of sixth National Security Cutter (NSC), Munro (WMSL 755) from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division.

The vessel is expected to be delivered by the end of 2016.

Ingalls NSC 6 programme integration manager Jason Frioux said: "All of the folks working the translation and launch worked diligently to ensure the process was done in the most efficient manner possible, and that’s exactly what happened.

"Now our NSC 6 team will continue this effort so this ship will be ready for sea trials and delivery next year. Everything we are doing on a day-to-day basis matters because we want to ensure the men and women of the Coast Guard will have a safe and quality ship to support their homeland security missions."

Primarily aimed at replacing 378ft Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters that were commissioned during the 1960s, the 418ft-long and 54ft-wide Legend-class NSCs can perform a range of missions including maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defence operations.

Complying with all the maritime security mission requirements, the vessel can accommodate 110 crew members, while cruising at a maximum speed of 28k and a range of 12,000 miles, and has an endurance of 60 days.

The vessel has been named in honour of Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro, the Coast Guard’s sole recipient of the Medal of Honor who was mortally wounded while evacuating a detachment of Marines on Guadalcanal in 1942.

Ingalls delivered fifth NSC James (WMSL 754) in June this year and has two more under construction excluding Munro.

Kimball (WMSL 756), the seventh NSC is scheduled for delivery in 2018.

Fabrication of the eighth NSC, Midgett, is expected to commence in November this year.

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Image: Munro in Dry Dock. Photo: courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries.