Nichols Martin
Huntington Ingalls Industries has authenticated the keel of Calhoun, a future Legend-class national security cutter that will join the U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet deployed for maritime law enforcement, homeland security, environmental protection and marine safety missions.
Calhoun, also known as WMSL 759 or NSC 10, is also designed to support national defense operations as a Legend-class NSC, HII said Friday.
The new cutter has reached its construction’s middle-point and follows nine other national security cutters already delivered by HII, which is also working on two other NSCs. The cutters measure 418 feet in length and can traverse the seas at up to 28 knots of speed while carrying a crew of 120.
NSC also has an endurance of 60 days and a range of 12,000 miles.
WMSL 759 takes the name of Charles Calhoun, USCG’s first master chief petty officer. Christina Calhoun Zubowicz, granddaughter of NSC 10’s namesake, placed her initials on its keel as the cutter’s sponsor.
“May abundant divine protection, luck and blessings surround the ship: and the men and women – the shipbuilders, in crafting the new innovative national security cutter, Calhoun,” she said.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division was originally scheduled to hold the authentication ceremony in 2020 but moved the date due to pandemic-driven factors.
