Coast guard stakes its future on national security cutters.

• Author: Truver, Scott C.
• Position: Viewpoint

The focal point of U.S. Coast Guard acquisition reform and recapitalization remains the National Security Cutter.

The NSC is one of the Coast Guard's major contributions to the nation's fleet. As such, the Navy may want to look at the Legend-class cutters as a cost-effective means to carry out "lower end/' yet critical roles and missions, and as a complement to its Littoral Combat Ships.

Unlike the 45-plus knot Littoral Combat Ship, the NSC has been optimized for higher speeds and significant endurance. Compared to the Hamilton-class 378s they are replacing, the 418-foot NSC design provides better seakeeping and higher sustained transit speeds of 28 knots, or 30-plus knots sprint speed; greater endurance and range with maximum 90-day patrols and 12,000 nautical miles at 12 knots; an improved ability to launch and recover small boats, helicopters and drones; and advanced secure command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems (C4ISR) and ability to handle sensitive information.

That said, budgets will remain squeaky-tight for years, if not longer, and dynamics completely out of the Coast Guard's control could derail even the best of plans.

The first three cutters were procured through the Deepwater Integrated Coast Guard Systems consortium under cost-plus incentive-fee contracts. NSC numbers four and five are being procured through Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., under fixed-price incentive-firm contracts.

As of late 2011, the total costs of the NSC ships were: $591 million for the Bertholf, which included design costs; $432 million for the Waesche; $467 million for Stratton; and $480 million for Hamilton. The Coast Guard in September signed a contract for a fifth unnamed ship for $482 million. Three of the cutters--Bertholf, Waesche and Stratton--were sailing by the end of November. Plans call for the remaining three NSCs to be delivered by 2019.

The Office of Management and Budget has approved a capital investment plan for the next five years that shows numbers six, seven and eight in the program.

"I'm optimistic that we will get it done," Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp Jr. noted in a National Defense interview. "We need to get it done and I'm committed to getting those eight ships built."

Shipyard innovations and learning-curve efficiencies contributed to the $180 million reduction in the cost of the second ship compared to the lead...