USCGC Calhoun

USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759) is the tenth Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard.^[4] She is the first ship to be named after 1st Master Chief Petty Officer Charles L. Calhoun.

USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759)

History
United States
Name	Calhoun
Namesake	Charles L. Calhoun
Awarded	21 December 2018
Builder	Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Cost	$499.76 million[1]
Laid down	23 July 2021
Launched	2 April 2022
Sponsored by	Christina Calhoun Zubowicz
Christened	4 June 2022
Commissioned	20 April 2024
Identification	Pennant number: WMSL-759
Motto	"Never Give Up"[2]
Status	Sea trials
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Legend-class cutter
Displacement	4,500 long tons (4,600 t)
Length	418 ft (127 m)
Beam	54 ft (16 m)
Draft	22.5 ft (6.9 m)
Propulsion	Combined diesel and gas
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi)
Endurance	60 to 90-day patrol cycles
Complement	120
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-75 air search radar SPQ-9B fire control radar AN/SPS-79 surface search radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare system 2 x Mk-36 SRBOC/ 2 x Mk-53 NULKA countermeasures chaff/rapid decoy launcher
Armament	1 x Mk-110 57 mm Naval Gun System (variant of the Bofors 57 mm gun) 1 × 20 mm Block 1B Phalanx close-in weapons system 4 × .50 caliber machine guns 2 × M240B 7.62 mm machine guns
Armor	Ballistic protection for main gun
Aircraft carried	2 x MH-65C Dolphin MCH, or 1 x MH-65C Dolphin MCH and 2 x sUAS[3]

Development and design

Main article: Legend-class cutter

All of Legend-class cutters were constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries and were part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.^[5] They are of the high endurance cutter roles with additional upgrades to make it more of an asset to the Department of Defense during declared national emergency contingencies.^[6] The cutters are armed mainly to take on lightly-armed hostiles in low-threat environments.

Construction and career

Calhoun and her sister ship Friedman were ordered on 21 December 2018. On 12 November 2019, 100 tons of her steel had been cut.^[7] As of July 2021, she was more than halfway through her construction schedule. After the planned ceremony was delayed in 2020, her keel was formally authenticated on 23 July 2021.^[8][9] Calhoun was launched on 2 April 2022 and christened on 4 June 2022.^[10][11] Ingalls Shipbuilding announced on August 2, 2023 that Calhoun completed its acceptance sea trials.^[12] The Calhoun was delivered to Coast Guard Base Charleston and commissioned on April 20, 2024. ^[13]

References

1. "Production Awarded For Eighth National Security Cutter" (PDF). USCG.mil. US Coast Guard. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
2. "USCGC Calhoun (WMSL 759)". tioh.army.mil. The Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
3. "Coast Guard Selects Small UAS For NSC" (PDF). USCG.mil. US Coast Guard. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
4. Vanderhaden, Jason M. (25 October 2019). "Admiral Karl Schultz selects name for Coast Guard's 10th National Security Cutter". Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
5. "National Security Cutter (NSC)". Integrated Deepwater System Program. Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
6. John Pike. "Maritime Security Cutter, Large (WMSL) / National Security Cutter (NSC)". Archived from the original on 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
7. "USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759) | Modern weapons". Retrieved 2021-01-10.
8. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Authenticates Keel of National Security Cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759)" (Press release). 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
9. "HII Authenticates Keel of National Security Cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759)". MarineLink. 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
10. Felton, Benjamin (2022-04-04). "Huntington Ingalls Launches 10th NSC for the Coast Guard". Overt Defense. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
11. Kulo, Warren (2022-06-06). "Ingalls christens National Security Cutter Calhoun". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
12. "Future US Coast Guard's Legend class cutter Calhoun completes sea trials". NavyRecognition. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
13. "US Coast Guard commissions newest national security cutter named for first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard". WXXV News 25. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-05-15.

External links