Northrop Grumman delivers second Coast Guard cutter

Waesche is second of eight planned

By LEIGH COLEMAN - SUN HERALD

E-Mail

Print Reprint or license

Text Size:

tool goes here

PASCAGOULA — Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding delivered its second National Security Cutter Waesche to the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday marking a major milestone in the operational status of the Coast Guard’s fleet.

The 418-foot Waesche is the second of eight planned National Security Cutters to be built at Northrop Grumman as part of the Coast Guard’s deepwater major-acquisition program.

The Waesche is the second ship in the new Legend-class of cutters designed to be the flagship of the Coast Guard’s modernized fleet, capable of executing the most challenging maritime safety and security missions around the globe.

PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS THOMAS BLUE/USCG Capt. James Knight, from left, Rear Adm. Ronald J. Rabago, Capt. Lance Bardo and Cmdr. Troy Hosmer, salute the national ensign during the In-Commission Special ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL-751), in Pascagoula on Friday.

Gallery:Northrop Grumman delivers second cutter

Eight cutters are planned for the class.

The new cutters will be the flagships of the Coast Guard fleet and will replace the 378-foot, Hamilton-class High Endurance Cutters, which entered service during the 1960s.

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Ronald J. Rábago presided over the ceremony on the cutter’s flight deck.

“This is a significant milestone as we are setting history for the Coast Guard,” said Rábago.

“The third cutter, Stratton, is about 30 percent complete and we cannot get the rest of these vessels fast enough.”

The Coast Guard’s crew and perspective Capt. Lance Bardo will now begin another intense period of training at sea.

The cutter is scheduled to depart Pensacola for its homeport of Alameda, Calif., near the end of January 2010.

Waesche will remain at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding until December and will be commissioned at its homeport in Alameda in May.

“These cutters by far have a long-storied history and the Waesche is now ready to deploy,” said Bob Merchent, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s vice president of surface combatants and U.S. Coast Guard programs.

“This vessel is the culmination of years of hard work by thousands of shipbuilders. We are delivering another technologically advanced ship to the Coast Guard. And once she becomes part of our nation’s defense, we’ll follow her progress with great interest and take pride in her successes.”