USCGC Argus (WMSM-915)
USCGC Argus (WMSM-915) is the lead ship of the Heritage-class cutters of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). She is the second ship to be named after Argus Panoptes.
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name: | Argus |
Namesake: | USRC Argus |
Awarded: | 15 October 2016 |
Builder: | Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City |
Laid down: | 28 April 2020 |
Homeport: | San Pedro |
Identification: | Pennant number: WMSM-915 |
Status: | Under construction |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Heritage-class cutter |
Displacement: | 4,520 long tons (4,590 t) (full load) |
Length: | 360 ft (110 m) |
Beam: | 53 ft (16 m) |
Draft: | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
Installed power: | 4 x 940 eKW diesel generators |
Propulsion: | 2 × 7,280 kW (9,760 hp) MAN 16V28/33D STC diesel engines at 1,000 rpm[1] |
Speed: | 24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph) |
Range: | 10,200 nmi (18,900 km; 11,700 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
Endurance: | 60 days |
Boats & landing craft carried: | 3 x Over-the-horizon boats |
Complement: | 126 |
Sensors and processing systems: | |
Electronic warfare & decoys: |
|
Armament: |
|
Armor: | Ballistic protection over critical areas and main gun |
Aircraft carried: | One MH-60 or MH-65, plus sUAS |
Aviation facilities: | Hangar and helipad |
Development and design
Heritage-class cutters are the newest class of cutter in the USCG, bridging the capabilities of the Legend and Sentinel classes. They are tasked to go against lightly armed hostiles in low-threat environments.
In February 2014, the USCG announced that Bollinger Shipyards, Eastern Shipbuilding, and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works had been awarded design contracts for the OPC.[4] The Government Accountability Office denied contract appeals by VT Halter Marine and Ingalls Shipbuilding.[5]
In September 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Florida, was awarded a $110.3 million contract to build the first Offshore Patrol Cutter with an option to purchase eight additional cutters.[6] [7] On October 15, 2016 the Coast Guard issued a notice to proceed with the detailed design of the Offshore Patrol Cutter to Eastern Shipbuilding.[8]
Construction and career
The construction of Argus was planned to begin in the late summer of 2018, with delivery in August 2021.[9] On September 28, 2018, the USCG exercised the contract option to begin construction of the lead Offshore Patrol Cutter, along with long-lead materials for OPC #2. The total value of the options exercised is $317.5 million.[10] Delayed by the impact of Hurricane Michael in October 2018, steel cutting for USCGC Argus began on January 7, 2019.[11] She was laid down on 28 April 2020.[12]
See also
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2021-01-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Saab to Provide Multi-Mode Radar for US Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter". Saab Corporate.
- "Exhibit P-40, Budget Line Item Justification: PB 2020 Navy" (PDF). www.dacis.com/. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- CAVAS, CHRISTOPHER P. (14 February 2014). "3 Firms Win Design Contracts for New US Coast Guard Cutter". www.defensenews.com. Gannett Government Media. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- "GAO denies protest over Coast Guard patrol cutters". www.washingtontimes.com. The Associated Press. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- LaGrone, Sam (15 September 2016). "Eastern Shipbuilding Wins Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter Award; Bests BIW, Bollinger". USNI News.
- LaGrone, Sam (21 September 2016). "Coast Guard Ready for Possible Offshore Patrol Cutter Protest". USNI News. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- "USCG: Offshore Patrol Cutter". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
- "EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP AWARDED LONG LEAD TIME MATERIAL (LLTM) CONTRACT FOR UNITED STATES COAST GUARD OFFSHORE PATROL CUTTER PROGRAM" (PDF).
- "Coast Guard Exercises Option to Construct First Offshore Patrol Cutter", USCG Acquisition Directorate, 28 September 2018
- "Construction starts on first US Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter". navaltoday.com. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "Keel authenticated for first offshore patrol cutter". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2021-01-10.