Austal USA celebrated the keel laying Monday for the first of a potential 11 U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters at its riverfront home in Mobile.
The contract, if exercised in full, has a potential value of $3.3 billion.
The cutter Pickering (WMSM919) is named for first USCGC Cutter Pickering that launched in 1798.
Dr. Meghan Pickering Seymour, great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of that first ship’s namesake Colonel Timothy Pickering, authenticated the keel, welding her initials onto the keel plate.
The ceremony drew a host of dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi, who chairs the House committee overseeing the Coast Guard and maritime transportation, and Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant (acting) U.S. Coast Guard.
The 360-foot cutters are designed for law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction and search and rescue operations. They have a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots.
“Meeting this important milestone for the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter program is a significant achievement that underscores our commitment to the on-time delivery of the cutters the USCG needs,” said Austal USA President Michelle Kruger. “Today’s ceremony is representative of the hard work and dedication of our skilled workforce and the strength of the shipbuilding team of Austal USA, the Coast Guard and our suppliers. We are proud to be building these critically important cutters that will help ensure the security of our nation.”
