Construction recently began on what will be the U.S. Coast Guard's seventh national security cutter.
According to UPI, the vessel is being crafted by Huntington Ingalls Industries. The steel has already been cut at their plant in Mississippi that specializes in shipbuilding, explained the source. The structure, which has been dubbed the Kimball (WMSL 756), will be completed in about three years.
The Kimball is one of the ships the Coast Guard commissioned to replace Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters, the model that had been used by the organization since the 1960s. While the old designs were 378 feet long, the new cutters each boast a length of 418 feet. The Kimball, and others like it, will have a 54-foot beam, a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 12,000 miles. It will be able to hold a crew of 120 servicemembers and will have an endurance of 60 days, according to a press release.
Security needs are the top priority for these new vessels, explained the release. Each ship will have an aft launch and a "recovery area" that will be able to hold two inflatable boats. Additionally, every cutter will have a flight deck that will support rotary-winged aircraft.