HII [HII] last Saturday christened the 10th Legend-class national security cutter (NSC), the Calhoun (WMSL 759), which is slated for delivery to the Coast Guard in early 2023.
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Calhoun is the next-to-last NSC expected to be delivered to the Coast Guard. The 418-foot high-endurance cutters can stay at sea for up to three months and are used for national security and law enforcement missions.
HII builds the NSCs at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. The 11th NSC, the Friedman, is under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2024.
The NSCs typically deploy with helicopters, unmanned aircraft, small cutter boats, and are equipped with a number of weapons systems for self-defense.
“These national security cutters are absolutely vital to our national security and our economic prosperity,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan said in a statement. “We are a global coast guard, forward deployed, conducting exercises with maritime forces, strengthening security partnerships and maritime governance in critical parts of the world right now.”