US Coast Guard to maintain OPC fleet size, despite contract cancellations

Offshore Patrol Cutters are slated to patrol waters near contested waters served by US Coast Guard bases such as the one pictured here in Kodiak, Alaska. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

Even though the US Coast Guard (USCG) parent organisation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has cancelled the contracts for the acquisition of two Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), the USCG plans to buy 25 ships, according to a DHS 11 July release.

“The coast guard's goal is to procure 25 OPCs – and that has not changed,” the DHS said. “The coast guard remains intent on acquiring and delivering the full OPC class as fast as possible.”

Fiscal year (FY) 2026 legislation recently signed into law includes USD4.3 billion for nine new OPCs.

The USCG is reviewing contracts, which are failing to meet delivery agreements, the DHS said, adding the current OPC contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has been “slow to deliver four OPCs”.

For more information on the USCG's attempts to revamp its acquisition efforts, please see US Department of Homeland Security seeks to establish USCG secretary, revamp service acquisition and operations .

DHS has “partially canceled ESG's contract for two out of the four OPCs expected from ESG in Panama City, Florida”, the DHS said.

Initially due in June 2023, ESG's delivery of OPC 1 will now be completed by the end of 2026 at the earliest, the DHS added.

“ESG missed its April 2024 delivery for OPC 2,” the DHS said. “The coast guard stopped work on OPCs 3 and 4 after ESG notified the service earlier this year they could not fulfill their contractual duty to deliver all four OPCs without unabsorbable loss. The money saved will [be] redirected.”

Cutter replacements