By John McHale
ARLINGTON, Va. — Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard awarded Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) a contract to begin production and delivery work on the first Maritime Security Cutter, Large (WMSL) — formerly the National Security Cutter — under the Integrated Deepwater System program.
The new cutter is designed "to satisfy the Coast Guard's multimission responsibilities in homeland security, national defense, marine safety, and environmental protection," says Rear Adm. Patrick M. Stillman, program executive officer for the Integrated Deepwater System.
"In addition to enabling the Coast Guard to fulfill its commitment to the National Fleet Policy, this class of cutters will play an important role in restoring the Coast Guard's operational readiness, capacity, and effectiveness at a time when the demand for its services has never been higher."
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss., is leading the production effort, as a major partner in ICGS — a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The ship will be manufactured in Pascagoula.
For this contract, Lockheed Martin focuses primarily on the future ship's command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. The lead ship of the class will be finished in 2007.
"This cutter will significantly enhance the maritime-security capabilities and efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard," says Philip A. Dur, president of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The new cutter will be based on work Northrop has done on surface combatants for the military, he adds.
"Our entire deepwater team will continue to survey cost savings and will establish a best value analysis for equipment and component standardization to fully understand the lifecycle cost savings associated with this effort," says Judy Wheat, program manager for the Maritime Security Cutter.
The new cutter will be 421 feet long with a 4,112-ton displacement at full load. Driving the ship at a top speed of 28 knots will be a twin-screw combined diesel and gas turbine-power-propulsion plant. The cutter will include an aft launch-and-recovery area for two rigid-hull inflatable boats, a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned helicopters, and state-of-the-art command-and-control electronics, Coast Guard officials say.
Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) is a multiyear program to modernize and replace the Coast Guard's aging ships and aircraft, and improve command-and-control and logistics systems. It is the largest recapitalization effort in the history of the Coast Guard.
When complete, the interoperable IDS system will include three classes of new cutters and their associated small boats, a new fixed-wing manned-aircraft fleet, a combination of new and upgraded helicopters, and cutter-based and land-based unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), Coast Guard officials say. All of these assets are linked with C4ISR systems, and are supported by a new integrated logistics system.
For more information on the Coast Guard's IDS program, go online at www.icgsdeepwater.com.
