Scott Nicholas
Huntington Ingalls Industries has launched the eighth National Security Cutter that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division built for the U.S. Coast Guard ahead of the vessel’s scheduled Dec. 9 christening ceremony.
The company said Wednesday Ingalls Shipbuilding used a rail car system to move Midgett NSC to a floating dry dock last week and deployed the vessel early Wednesday morning through the use of tugboats.
USCG named the ship after John Allen Midgett, a senior enlisted member of the former U.S. Lifesaving Service prior to its combination with the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Revenue Cutter Service.
Legend-class NSC vessels are designed to replace the service branch’s fleet of Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that have been in service since the 1960s.
NSCs feature an aft launch and recovery platform designed to accommodate hull inflatable boats as well as a flight deck intended to house rotary-wing manned and unmanned aircraft.
The vessels are built to support maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense operations.
