After conducting a thorough evaluation of proposals submitted by competing shipyards, the U.S. Coast Guard has awarded the largest vessel procurement contract in Coast Guard history to Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida. Eastern Shipbuilding Group was selected to finalize its design and construct the first series of Nine Offshore Patrol Cutters to replace the Medium Endurance Cutters currently in service. The contract is initially for Nine vessels with options for Two additional vessels. The Coast Guard program goal is to build Twenty Five Offshore Patrol Cutters having a potential total contract
value in excess of Ten billion dollars. Initially, Eastern has been awarded the detail design effort with a value of approximately One Hundred Ten million dollars. Construction of the first vessel is expected to commence in 2018.
