According to information released on June 11, 2021, the American shipyards Bollinger has submitted its proposal to the United States Coast Guard to build Stage 2 of the Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program. If chosen, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 vessels to the U.S. Coast Guard over the next decade, helping to sustain the Bollinger workforce through 2031.
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Artist drawing of Heritage-class cutter for U.S. Coast Guard. (Picture source Bollinger)
Bollinger has been actively involved in every step of the U.S. Coast Guard’s OPC acquisition process, including execution of the Stage 1 Preliminary and Contract Design, where the Company was included in the final three shipyards, as well as execution of the OPC Stage 2 Industry Study. This unique experience ensures Bollinger’s understanding of every detail and aspect of the program.
Notably, in its current program for the U.S. Coast Guard, Bollinger has delivered Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter hulls 1139 through 1144 a total of 127 days ahead of the contract schedule, despite the incredible challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic and a historic hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico impacting Louisiana’s coast.
Bollinger has a long history building for the U.S. Coast Guard, delivering 170 vessels in the last three decades alone. This includes the Island Class (49 delivered), the Marine Protector Class (77 delivered), and now the Sentinel Class (44 of 64 delivered to-date).
Acquisition of the offshore patrol cutter (OPC) is the U.S. Coast Guard’s highest investment priority. The OPC will provide a critical 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 OPC 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
The Heritage-class is the newest class of cutters in the USCG (United States Coast Guard), bridging the capabilities of the Legend-class cutters and the Sentinel-class cutters. USCG plans to acquire a total of 25 Heritage-class OPC vessels.
The Heritage-class has a length of 110m-long and has a beam and a draft of 16.0 m and 4.9 m respectively. The ship displacement is 4,520 tons. The stern flight deck of the vessel has a capacity for carrying an MH-60 or MH-65 helicopter.
Two MAN 16V28/33D STC marine diesel engines will drive two five-bladed controllable pitch propellers and power the Heritage-class cutter. She is able to reach a top speed of 24.5 knots (45.4 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 10,200 nautical miles at (18,900 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h). The ship has a crew of 126 people and an endurance of 60 days.
The Heritage class is armed with one MK 110 57 mm gun a variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System, one BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 3 25 mm gun with 7.62 mm co-axial gun, two M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted on a MK 50 Stabilized Small Arms Mount (SSAM), four crew-served M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns.
