America’s largest military shipbuilding company, Huntington Ingalls Industries has announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered National Security Cutter Stone (WMSL 758) to the U.S. Coast Guard.
WMSL 758, the Stone, is the Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC).
According to a company news release, documents signed Monday mark the official transfer of custody of the ship from HII to the Coast Guard. Stone is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard at the end of this year to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina.
“We could not be prouder to deliver our ninth national security cutter to the Coast Guard,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “Ending the year with this significant achievement is a true testament to the perseverance of our shipbuilders. Stone is a powerful ship that will have great opportunities to demonstrate the value of its multi-mission capabilities for many years to come.”
NSC 9 is named to honor Coast Guard Commander Elmer “Archie” Fowler Stone, Coast Guard aviator number one, who made history in 1919 for being one of two Coast Guard pilots in the four man air crew who completed the first trans-Atlantic flight in a Navy seaplane.
As noted by the company, the Legend-class NSC is the most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet, which enables it to meet the high demands required for maritime and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs are 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.