The OPC will have flight deck and aviation facilities to accommodate rotary-wing or unmanned aircraft. Because of its size, the OPC will have better seakeeping, and enable it to better counter transnational criminal organization activities in maritime transit zones and curb illegal migration on the high seas. The OPC will be able to make longer transits much faster. “That gets our people, aircraft, and boats on station faster, which is critical for interdiction and search and rescue cases. It’s going to be a fantastic platform,” said Cmdr. Heather Kelly, deputy enforcement chief for District 11.

A service life extension for the 270-foot medium-endurance cutters would help fill the gap until the OPCs are delivered. But there will be no more service life extensions for the 210s, which are nearing 60 years of age.

Both the NSC and the FRC deploy cutterboats from their stern launches for mission execution. However, the OPC will lack the stern launch-and-recovery facility that the NSC and FRC use. Stern launch ability was not included in the Coast Guard’s requirement for the OPC.

The WMECs are at or past their expected service life, and if the OPC program is delayed or underfunded, the Coast Guard may find itself without enough ocean-going cutters to fulfill its missions. A service life extension for the 270-foot medium-endurance cutters would help fill the gap until the OPCs are delivered. But there will be no more service life extensions for the 210s, which are nearing 60 years of age.

Heritage-class offshore security cutters are named after ships that have played a significant role in the service’s history. The names of the first 11 cutters are:

Argus (WMSM 915)

Chase (WMSM 916)

Ingham (WMSM 917)

Rush (WMSM 918)

Pickering (WMSM 919)

Icarus (WMSM 920)

Active (WMSM 921)

Diligence (WMSM 922)

Alert (WMSM 923)

Vigilant (WMSM 924)

Reliance (WMSM 925)