New Long-Range Patrol Ship Equipped with Integrated Propulsion & Maneuvering System

The initial agreement between Kongsberg Maritime and Austal USA will see Pickering, the fifth ship in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Heritage Class program, outfitted with the Promas propulsion system. 

The new 109-meter OPC vessels will be able to provide long range patrol capability. At 360 feet long, they will have a displacement of 3,700 long tons, maximum speed of 22.2 knots, and a range of 9,050 nautical miles at 14 knots. It will also be the first to be built by Austal USA at their yard in Mobile, Alabama.

Kongsberg’s Promas combines a rudder and controllable pitch propeller into one propulsion system. This optimizes the hydrodynamic properties of the ship and delivers increased efficiency and thrust while using less energy. For the new OPC vessel, as well as twin Promas, Kongsberg Maritime will supply steering gear, rudders, fin stabilizers and tunnel thrusters.

The Coast Guard’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 Coast Guard’s medium endurance cutters and meet the need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness.

Björn ten Eicken, Kongsberg Maritime, Vice President – Naval, commented; “Kongsberg Maritime has a proud history of supplying mission critical technology to United States Coast Guard programs.

“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.”