USCGC ''Calhoun'' (WMSL-759) is the tenth of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

. She is the first ship to be named after Charles L. Calhoun, the first

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard The master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) is the senior enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard and the principal advisor to the commandant of the Coast Guard on all enlisted personnel matters. The holder of this position is ...

Development and design

All of Legend-class cutters were constructed by

Huntington Ingalls Industries Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 375 on the Fortune 500, was formed ...

and were part of the

Integrated Deepwater System Program The Integrated Deepwater System Program (IDS Program or Deepwater) was the 25-year program to replace all or much of the United States Coast Guard's equipment, including aircraft, ships, and logistics and command and control systems. The $24 bil ...

. They are of the

high endurance cutter The designation of high endurance cutter (WHEC) was created in 1965 when the United States Coast Guard adopted its own designation system. High endurance cutters encompass the largest cutters previously designated by the United States Navy as g ...

roles with additional upgrades to make it more of an asset to the

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

during declared national emergency contingencies. The cutters are armed mainly to take on lightly-armed hostiles in low-threat environments.

Construction and career

''Calhoun'' and her sister ship were ordered on 21 December 2018. On 12 November 2019, 100 tons of her steel had been cut. 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. ''Calhoun'' was launched on 2 April 2022 and christened on 4 June 2022. Ingalls Shipbuilding announced on August 2, 2023 that ''Calhoun'' completed its acceptance sea trials. The ''Calhoun'' was delivered to Coast Guard Base Charleston and commissioned on April 20, 2024.

References

External links

USCGC CALHOUN (WMSL 759)
Legend-class cutters Ships of the United States Coast Guard {{US-mil-ship-stub