The National Security Cutter or NCS do not have the same survivability as modern day warships but the design by Northrop-Grumman and Lockheed-Martin originated as a new USN frigate complementing the Littoral Combat Support Ship, with the possibility of later adding LCS weapons and mission modules. The NSC has a much lower top speed than the LCS but much longer endurance.
It�s pretty amazing really that ships of this size are designated as large frigates or even destroyers in most other navies. And what is really amazing is that the project has an overall delay of 5 years and costs per ship have almost doubled.
4 ships are build/named so far, with another 4 on option:
- USCGC BERTHOLF (WMSL-750) seatrials february 2008
- USCGC WAESCHE (WMSL-751) commissioned may 2010
- USCGC STRATTON (WMSL-752) delivery in september
- USCGC HAMILTON (WMSL-753) contract awarded in November 2010, keel not yet laid(?)
Length: 418 feet (127.40 meters)
Beam: 54 feet (16.46 meters)
Draft: 30 feet (9.14 meters)
Propulsion: Combined diesel and gas
2 � 7.400 kW diesel engines
1 � 22.000 kW gas turbine engine
Speed: 28+ knots
Range: 12,000 nm
Complement: 113 (14 Officers)
Sensors and
processing systems:
EADS 3D TRS-16 Air Search Radar
SPQ-9B Fire Control Radar
AN/SPS-73 Surface Search Radar
AN/SLQ-32
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System
2 SRBOC/ 2 NULKA countermeasures chaff/rapid decoy launcher
Armament: 57 mm gun and Gunfire Control System
Close-In Weapons System
4 50 Caliber Machine Guns
2 M240B 7.62mm Light Machine Guns
Aircraft carried: (2) MH-65C Dolphin MCH, or (4) VUAV or (1) MH-65C Dolphin MCH and (2) VUAV
Source: Wikipedia
Bill Liebold's 1:256 model:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
Bertholf photo's:
http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/bertholf/news.asp
I like the looks of these ships so I'm working on some drawings right now
.