Ingalls Shipbuilding christened the Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) Saturday in Pascagoula, Miss. The Calhoun, the 10th NSC, is scheduled to be delivered early next year.
“Today’s christening is an acknowledgement of an important and valued partnership between our shipyard and the United States Coast Guard,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said in his remarks. “We consider it a privilege to build these magnificent ships.”
The keynote speaker was commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan, who was recently appointed to lead the Coast Guard and is the armed forces’ first female service chief.
“I’m super proud of the Ingalls team. I know how much heart and soul goes into building a ship like this,” Fagan said. “These national security cutters are absolutely vital to our national security and economic prosperity. We are a global coast guard, forward deployed — conducting exercises with maritime forces, strengthening security partnerships and maritime governance in critical parts of the world right now.”
Christina Calhoun Zubowicz, ship sponsor and granddaughter of the namesake (Calhoun is named to honor Charles L. Calhoun, the first master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard), christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
“On behalf of the Calhoun family, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the tremendous work being done here at Ingalls Shipbuilding,” Zubowicz said. “Rest assured that my grandfather would be admiring this ship with great pride today knowing that his name would continue his life’s work of carrying out Coast Guard missions.”
U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo joined Ingalls Shipbuilding to celebrate the ship christening.
“The national security cutters coming out of Ingalls are contributing greatly to our national security, stemming the flow of drugs throughout our oceans, and proving that we have the best shipbuilders right here in south Mississippi,” Palazzo said. “Congratulations to everyone at Ingalls on another successful christening, and I look forward to seeing the Calhoun in action.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding is the sole designer and provider of the Coast Guard Legend-class national security cutter. The flagship of the Coast Guard fleet, national security cutters are capable of embarking and supporting a wide range of Coast Guard, Navy and NATO manned and unmanned aircraft. NSCs have proven to be ideal platforms for drug interdiction, global illegal fishing, disaster relief and defense support operations.
Ingalls has delivered nine Legend-class NSCs, and two more are under construction.
