Austal USA starts building second Stage 2 Offshore Patrol Cutter to help US Coast Guard protect Arctic routes.

On August 6, 2025, Austal USA began construction of the Icarus (WMSM 920), the second Stage 2 Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) for the United States Coast Guard (USCG), following the award of a $273 million contract option. This option, which also includes funding for long lead-time material (LLTM) for a third Stage 2 OPC, is part of a broader agreement allowing up to 11 vessels to be constructed, with a total value of $3.3 billion.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) is positioned between the larger National Security Cutters (NSCs), which operate in open-ocean environments, and the smaller Fast Response Cutters (FRCs), which patrol closer to shore. (Picture source: Austal USA)

The ship is being built at Austal’s facility in Mobile, Alabama, where the first Stage 2 OPC, Pickering (WMSM 919), is also under construction. According to Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg, the optimized hull structure developed for Pickering reduces vessel weight and is expected to improve the efficiency of the construction process and extend the vessel's life. A 3D model has been developed to enable each module to reach a high level of completion before assembly. The OPC program is supported by a new final assembly building (FA2), currently under construction, that will add 18,000 square meters of covered manufacturing space across three bays, two of which are designed for OPC production.

The Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program has emerged as the United States Coast Guard (USCG)’s top investment priority to replace the USCG’s ageing fleet of medium endurance cutters, consisting of the 82-meter Famous class and the 64-meter Reliance class, both of which have exceeded their expected service lives. The OPC program, part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program, aims to bridge the capability gap between the larger National Security Cutters (NSCs), which operate in open-ocean environments, and the smaller Fast Response Cutters (FRCs), which patrol closer to shore. In Stage 1, awarded in 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) received a contract for four vessels. Due to production delays caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and subsequent performance and cost concerns, the Department of Homeland Security issued a stop-work order on the third and fourth hulls in June 2025 and fully cancelled them in July 2025. Stage 2, awarded to Austal USA in 2022, includes the detailed design and construction of up to 11 vessels.

Stage 2 cutters introduce a further optimized hull structure aimed at reducing overall weight and enhancing manufacturing efficiency. Austal employs a modular construction process in a new enclosed steel production facility, using 3D modeling to pre-outfit modules to a higher degree before final assembly. These changes are intended to lower lifecycle costs and accelerate build times. In contrast, Stage 1 vessels were constructed using more traditional techniques and experienced extended delays due to facility damage and production challenges. While performance characteristics remain unchanged between the two stages, including dimensions, propulsion layout, speed, range, and endurance, Stage 2 emphasizes standardized processes, lean manufacturing principles, and serial production supported by a newly built final assembly hall and ship lift system designed for larger throughput.

Each Heritage-class OPC measures 110 meters in length, with a beam of 16 meters and a draft of 5.2 meters. The vessels have a full load displacement of approximately 4,570 tonnes. The propulsion system consists of two Fairbanks Morse 16V28/33D STC diesel engines, delivering a combined 7,280 kilowatts, two Kongsberg controllable-pitch propellers with Promas rudders, and an auxiliary hybrid electric drive system from Leonardo DRS for low-speed operations. Four MTU 940-kilowatt diesel generators provide electrical power. These cutters have a maximum sustained speed of 41.7 kilometers per hour, a range of 18,900 kilometres at 26 kilometers per hour, and an endurance of 60 days. The ships carry three Over-the-Horizon boats and support aviation operations with a flight deck and hangar designed to accommodate an MH-60 or MH-65 helicopter and unmanned aerial systems. Austal’s production approach uses modular construction with advanced outfitting of modules prior to final integration, supported by lean manufacturing processes and a new ship lift platform rated for 18,000 tonnes.

The vessels are equipped with a Saab Sea Giraffe AN/SPS-77 AMB multi-mode naval radar, the AN/UPX-46 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, the AN/URN-32 Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) system, MK 20 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Sensor System (EOSS), and Link 22 Tactical Data Links. Electronic warfare capabilities are provided by the AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 system and two MK 53 Mod 10 Nulka Decoy Launching Systems. The armament includes an MK 110 57 mm gun, a BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 3 25 mm gun with a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, and up to six M2 Browning 12.7 mm machine guns. The vessels feature ballistic protection over critical areas and are designed for survivability in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and toxic industrial chemical (CBRNE/TIC) environments. The design incorporates compartmentalisation and an uninterruptible power supply for essential systems. Each cutter will carry a crew complement of up to 126 personnel. The systems and armament are consistent with those used on other Coast Guard and Navy platforms, ensuring interoperability with Department of Defense assets during multi-mission operations, including defence support and theatre security cooperation.

The funding and legislative framework supporting the OPC program have significantly expanded in recent years. In July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted into law, authorizing $24.6 billion in special appropriations to the Coast Guard through 2029. Of that, $4.3 billion was specifically earmarked for the OPC program to facilitate expedited acquisition, infrastructure upgrades, and long-lead procurement. The remaining funds are allocated to other modernization efforts, including $4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters, $3.5 billion for Arctic Security Cutters, and substantial investments in helicopters, aircraft, unmanned systems, and maritime sensors. According to a USCG press release issued on August 1, 2025, the funds will allow construction of the remaining nine Stage 2 OPCs ahead of schedule. In the FY2026 budget request, the USCG asked for $812.5 million to double OPC construction output from one hull per year to two, including funds for the construction of the eighth and ninth cutters and LLTM for the tenth and eleventh. The service anticipates completing hulls one through seven by FY2028 and producing hulls eight through twenty-five at a two-per-year pace to complete the program by FY2038.

The total acquisition cost for the 25-ship OPC program has been estimated at approximately $17.6 billion, or $704 million per vessel, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). This unit cost exceeds that of the Legend-class NSCs and Navy Littoral Combat Ships, both of which average lower per-ship procurement costs. Critics have pointed to these cost figures and the extended delays of Stage 1 vessels as reasons for congressional oversight. USCGC Argus (WMSM 915), the first OPC, began construction in 2019 and was originally slated for delivery in 2021. Following delays caused by natural disasters and programmatic issues, Argus is now scheduled for delivery no earlier than the end of 2026. In July 2025, the Department of Homeland Security described the ESG contract as not cost-effective and terminated two of the four initial hulls. ESG’s delivery of Argus is now expected nearly six years after steel cutting began, with significant concerns raised by the Government Accountability Office about non-compliant components and incomplete systems. In contrast, Austal USA’s Stage 2 program is proceeding under a fixed-price contract and has begun serial production using a revised shipbuilding strategy.

The Heritage-class OPCs are intended to provide the majority of the USCG’s offshore presence and are central to the service’s layered maritime security strategy. Each cutter will be capable of supporting a wide range of missions including law enforcement, search and rescue, counter-drug operations, migrant interdiction, and homeland defense. The vessels are designed to operate independently or as part of task groups and to serve as mobile command and control platforms during surge events such as hurricane response and mass migration incidents. The OPCs also support Arctic operations by regulating and protecting maritime commerce and energy exploration in the region. While the NSCs and FRCs continue to serve specific mission environments, the OPCs are being introduced to address capability and endurance gaps in mid-ocean regions and to replace older platforms that are increasingly expensive to operate. As the Coast Guard completes its recapitalization efforts, the OPC program remains one of its most complex and costly projects, requiring sustained oversight and industrial stability to achieve planned operational goals and delivery schedules.