Kongsberg Maritime has been selected by Austal USA to supply its Promas propulsion system to the latest ship in the new United States Coast Guard (USCG) Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Heritage Class programme.
This initial contract is to supply Kongsberg Maritime equipment for the fifth ship, Coast Guard Cutter Pickering, which is the first to be built by Austal USA at its yard in Mobile, Alabama.
The USCG’s new OPC program represents a significant investment in maritime capability and is expected to run up to 25 ships. The new vessels will replace the existing medium endurance cutters and meet the need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness.
Promas combines rudder and CP propeller into one propulsion system which optimises the hydrodynamic properties of the ship and delivers increased efficiency and thrust while using less energy. For the OPC, as well as twin Promas, Kongsberg Maritime is contracted to supply steering gear, rudders, fin stabilisers and tunnel thrusters.
Björn ten Eicken, Kongsberg Maritime VP Naval, said: “Kongsberg Maritime has a proud history of supplying mission critical technology to United States Coast Guard programmes. We have supplied our propulsion systems for naval and governmental forces for more than 80 years, and we’re delighted to have developed an efficient and effective system specifically suited to the challenging and varied operations of these new ships. Our Promas systems typically deliver efficiency savings of around 6%, so vessels are able to extend their range, something which can be crucial on longer missions. We’re looking forward to working with the Coast Guard and Austal USA on delivering these highly capable ships.”
The OPC vessels will be able to provide long range patrol capability. At 109.7m long, they will have a displacement of 3,700t, maximum speed of 22.2 knots, and a range of 9,050 naut mile at 14 knots.
Image: The latest USCG OPC vessel will be fitted with a Promas system (source: Kongsberg Maritime)
