Aug. 30, 2024 —
A plasma cutter at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala. cuts steel plate be used in the production of the Coast Guard’s fifth offshore patrol cutter, Pickering. Photo courtesy of Austal USA.
The Coast Guard joined Austal USA on Aug. 29 at the contractor’s facility located in Mobile, Alabama, to mark the start of production of the fifth Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), Coast Guard Cutter Pickering. Pickering is the first of up to 11 cutters that will be delivered to the Coast Guard through the Stage 2 contract with Austal USA and the fifth OPC to enter production.
Pickering is named after a Revenue Cutter of the same name, built in 1798. That vessel was named in honor of the second Secretary of War, Timothy Pickering. Pickering, who later served as Secretary of State before becoming a U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts, advocated for and oversaw the construction of the first frigates built to enforce tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. The cutter is the third Coast Guard vessel to carry the Pickering name. In addition to the Revenue Cutter Pickering, the Coast Guard operated a concrete-hull floating base in the 1920s. The newest addition to the Pickering legacy is expected to be delivered to the Coast Guard in late 2027.
OPCs play an important role in addressing the Coast Guard’s long-term need for cutters that can deploy independently or part as a task group. The OPC will provide a 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 ships 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. OPCs are a part of the Department of Homeland Security’s layered security strategy, performing a variety of missions such as responding to disasters, rescuing mariners, performing drug interdictions, uncovering smuggling activities and enforcing fisheries laws.
For more information, visit the Offshore Patrol Cutter Program page.