Austal USA has initiated construction on the US Coast Guard’s third Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter at the shipbuilder’s center in Mobile, Alabama.
The milestone on the future USCGC Ingham (WMSM-917) forms part of a $3.3-billion program to deliver up to 11 cutters under the series, all to take over roles of the aging Famous- and Reliance-class patrol boats.
For the new fleet, Austal leverages a modular construction method to optimize manufacturing timeline and complete associated module outfitting before final assembly…