The U.S. Navy is responsible for the Coast Guard’s “Navy Type Navy Owned” weaponry, which can also include sensors, combat management systems, ammunition, training, and sustainment. That includes the MK110 gun and ammunition.
The 270s have the same MK 75 OTO Melara 76 mm gun as the 378-foot WHECs. The 210s have the same MK 38 25 mm Bushmaster gun as the U.S. Navy coastal patrol boats.
In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee in March 2015, Zukunft stated, “We have three very highly incentivized contractors competing to get this largest contract in Coast Guard history.”
The Navy also is responsible for other systems found on Coast Guard cutters, such as the AN/WLR-1 and AN/SLQ-32 electronic countermeasures systems and the AN/SPQ-9B radar. This ensures the Coast Guard will be ready to fight alongside the Navy in time of war, and that the systems will be interoperable with each other. A number of highly capable sensors are available that would be well suited for the OPC, including those found on the LCS, and several of them are made by international partners, such as Thales, Saab, and Terma.
Like the NSC, the OPC will require certification for “information assurance.” Compared to the high endurance cutters they are replacing, the NSC’s information systems are capable of handling classified information, and have advanced sensors and an integrated combat management system. The service will draw from its experience with the NSC to ensure the OPC information technology systems will operate on protected networks.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works imagery of its notional offshore patrol cutter design. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works image
The Coast Guard has been evaluating unmanned systems such as the Puma and ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The CGC Bertholf’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) testing contributed to a significant drug bust when the UAS detected and tracked a go-fast vessel and helped direct Bertholf’s cutterboats and embarked helicopter to interdict the suspects, transporting 600 kilograms of cocaine. The OPC could embark an air detachment with manned helicopters as well as UAVs.
Shipyards
In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee in March 2015, Zukunft stated, “We have three very highly incentivized contractors competing to get this largest contract in Coast Guard history.”
Although the three vendors are experienced shipbuilders, only Bollinger has experience building ships for the Coast Guard. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works makes surface combatants for the Navy, but has not built ships for the Coast Guard. The third company, Eastern Shipbuilding, hasn’t built ships for either of the sea services.
There is a lot at stake, including hundreds of jobs.
Bath Iron Works, with experience building destroyers for the Navy, has seen its work decline as fewer ships are ordered. The yard is building new Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided-missile destroyers, and is building the three DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers. The DDG 51 program came to an end in 2008, but was resurrected in 2010 after the Navy decided not to build the next-generation air defense cruiser, CGX, or continue the DDG 1000 program. So there are no more Zumwalts to be built after the first three, and the new Arleigh Burke orders must be split between Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
That’s why Bath Iron Works considers the Coast Guard work as essential to keep the yard viable. The company’s General Manager Fred Harris told Maine’s business news source, Mainebiz, that the two southern competitors (Bollinger and Eastern) have some cost advantages, and his yard has to become more competitive. “If we don’t, the shipyard could go the way of other Maine industries, such as the paper mills.”
Bath is partnered with L-3 Communications and the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia.
Early Eastern Shipbuilding Group imagery of its offshore patrol cutter proposal. Eastern Shipbuilding image
Bollinger has delivered 87- and 110-foot patrol boats to the Coast Guard, and is now building the 154-foot Sentinel-class FRC, using a design from Damen in the Netherlands. Bollinger is teamed with Damen, L-3 Communications, and the naval architect firm of Gibbs & Cox for the OPC design.
Chris Bollinger, president of Bollinger Shipyards, said the design award demonstrates the company’s long relationship with the service, and demonstrates Bollinger’s potential for building Coast Guard cutters for decades to come.
Several vendors originally expressed interest in the program, but were not among those selected for the P&CD. They included Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula; Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin; General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, California; Vigor Shipyards of Seattle, Washington; and VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula.
“We look forward to delivering another world-class design to the United States Coast Guard,” said Bollinger.
Eastern Shipbuilding specializes in commercial offshore and harbor tugs, offshore/platform supply vessels, multipurpose construction vessels, research vessels, firefighting vessels, barges, ferries, passenger vessels, dredges, fishing vessels, and inland towboats. Eastern’s team includes STX Marine and Northrop Grumman.
Eastern estimates that as many as 2,000 direct jobs will be created in northwest Florida if it is selected.
Brian D’Isernia, president and CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding, stated in a February 2014 press release, “Affordability will be the central consideration for this acquisition. … An award of this value will represent a significant economic boom for Northwest Florida and Eastern will continue to be one of the State of Florida’s top job producers.”
Several vendors originally expressed interest in the program, but were not among those selected for the P&CD. They included Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula; Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin; General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, California; Vigor Shipyards of Seattle, Washington; and VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula.
Two of the companies not among the three selected for Phase I, Huntington Ingalls and VT Halter Marine, protested the Coast Guard’s award decision; however, the Government Accountability Office rejected the protests.
This article was first published in the Coast Guard Outlook 2015-2016 Edition.