Austal awarded 1st CG pact

MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA was awarded a contract with a potential value of $3.3 B for the detail design and construction of up to 11 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) for the Coast Guard (CG). The award marks Austal USA’s first CG acquisition program and follows the company’s recent win of their first competitive steel shipbuilding contract, the U.S. Navy’s Auxiliary Floating Drydock Medium (AFDM). The OPC program is the CG’s highest investment priority. Austal USA will construct the OPC using its manufacturing processes and production methods that incorporate lean principles, modular construction and moving assembly lines in the company’s new state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility. “The Austal USA team is excited to support the U.S. Coast Guard using our new steel panel line to manufacture and deliver ships highly capable of performing their critical homeland security and defense missions,” Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh said. The 360-foot OPCs will provide the majority of offshore presence for the CGs cutter fleet and will be capable of conducting a variety of missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue. (Source: Austal USA 06/30/22) Austal USA awarded $3.3 billion multi-ship contract for U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) | Austal: Corporate