USCG’s fourth NSC completes acceptance sea trials

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding unit has successfully completed the acceptance sea trials of the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) fourth national security cutter (NSC) Hamilton (WMSL 753) in the Gulf of Mexico.

The two-day trials involved execution of several tests and demonstrations of shipboard systems for the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).

Ingalls NSC programme manager Jim French said: "It’s another great shipbuilding day, bringing NSC 4 back to Ingalls after very successful acceptance trials.

"The NSC programme is a blueprint for success when it comes to shipbuilding. We continue to improve our performance on each ship, which translates into efficiency and affordability for our customer."

As part of the trials, the company’s test and trials team carried out extensive testing of the propulsion, anchor handling, steering and combat systems, further culminating in the successful completion of a full-power propulsion run.

Ingalls programme management and test and trials vice-president Richard Schenk said: "The Ingalls/Coast Guard team had the ship prepared for an extensive two days of testing.

"Our operating crew showed the utmost professionalism in every aspect of duties during our underway time. The ship is ready to enter the service and start performing key Coast Guard missions."

Mainly aimed at replacing the USCG’s aging 378ft Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters commissioned during the 1960s, the new 418ft long and 54ft wide Legend-class NSCs can cruise at a maximum cruise speed of 28k with a range of 12,000 miles and an endurance of 60 days.

Scheduled to be delivered next month and commissioned on 6 December, Hamilton offers a displacement capacity of 4,500t when fully loaded, while accommodate 110 crew members.

The company has recently christened the fifth US Coast Guard (USCG) NSC, James (WMSL 754).

NSCs are mainly targeted at meeting all maritime security mission needs including an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft.

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Image: USCG’s National Security Cutter Hamilton during acceptance trials. Photo: courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.