ESG conducts design review with US Coast Guard for OPC

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has carried out its Final Critical Design Review (FCDR) with the US Coast Guard on 29 June for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) programme.

This comes following a week of discussions, demonstrations, and design presentations by ESG’s design team to the USCG and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

FCDR helps to ensure that the OPC detail design is internally aligned with the USCG requirements and points towards the exercise of the contract option for development of the first hull USCGC ARGUS.

Construction work of the lead vessel is expected to commence once the contract option is exercised and its delivery is slated for 2021.

ESG president Joey D’Isernia said: “This major milestone for the OPC program was achieved on time and our design was found to be ready for the next milestone, Production Readiness Review (PRR) on July 31, 2018.

“We will continue to work closely with the Coast Guard to make the design more affordable to build and develop refinements to improve mission effectiveness.

“The success could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication exhibited by the members of both the ESG and Coast Guard project teams. We are eager to take the next step with PRR and start of construction and look forward to an exciting fall for the Coast Guard and  Eastern Shipbuilding.”

Designed to carry out several missions in support of the country’s maritime security and border protection, the OPC will offer a capability bridge between the National Security Cutter, which patrols the open ocean in the most demanding maritime environments, and the Fast Response Cutter, which serves closer to shore.

The OPC design includes the capability of carrying an MH-60R or MH-65 Helicopter and three operational Over-The-Horizon (OTH) small boats.

It is also equipped with an advanced combat system and C4ISR (command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) suite that will boost capabilities to execute the service’s missions.