LATEST UPDATES

The Coast Guard and Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) authenticated the keel for the second offshore patrol cutter (OPC), Chase, May 24, 2021.

The Coast Guard modified its contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group April 29, 2021, to begin construction of the third OPC and to acquire long lead-time material for the fourth OPC.

The Coast Guard released a request for proposal (RFP) Jan. 29, 2021, for OPC follow-on detail design and production.

Offshore Patrol Cutter

OPC

Artist rendering courtesy of Eastern Shipbuilding Group.

Acquisition of the offshore patrol cutter (OPC) is the Coast Guard’s highest investment priority. The OPC will provide 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 ships will feature state-of-the-market technology and will replace the service’s 270-foot and 210-foot medium endurance cutters, which are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and operate.

Why this program?

The 270-foot and 210-foot medium endurance cutters that the OPC will replace are approximately 30 and 50 years old, respectively. The Coast Guard has made targeted investments to improve the reliability and operational availability of the medium endurance cutters, but they are still on their way to technological obsolescence. In addition, the Coast Guard’s missions have evolved in response to changing national and international maritime security needs, and the service needs a fleet designed to execute its missions. The OPC is the most effective way to fill the service’s need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness.

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The OPCs will provide the majority of offshore presence for the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the 154-foot fast response cutters, which serve closer to shore. The OPCs will conduct missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. Each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups and serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.