Replies

"The Coast Guards new OPC has a max designed speed of 22.5 knots, with a 10,000 mile range at 14 knots."

Which makes it less capable than the current Legend class:

"The Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC) and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is the largest active patrol cutter class of the United States Coast Guard.
Entering into service in 2008, the Legend-class is the largest of several new cutter designs developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.[9]"

Compare to Heritage class:

"The Heritage-class cutter, also known as the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Maritime Security Cutter, Medium, is a cutter class of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program and built by Eastern Shipbuilding.[4]
Construction of the first vessel in the class began in January 2019."

The two cutter classes appear to be quite similar in size & performance, with Legend slightly longer, wider, faster & longer range.
The Legend class has combined diesel & gas engines and so a higher max speed of 28+ knots, while Heritage has only diesel engines and 24.5 knots max speed.

Given their current issues, I don't see how the Navy's LCSs could ever replace the Coast Guard's most advanced cutters.

Heritage Class Argus:

Legend Class Bertholf:

"The Coast Guards new OPC has a max designed speed of 22.5 knots, with a 10,000 mile range at 14 knots."
Which makes it less capable than the current Legend class:
"The Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC) and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is the largest active patrol cutter class of the United States Coast Guard.
Entering into service in 2008, the Legend-class is the largest of several new cutter designs developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program.[9]"
Compare to Heritage class:
"The Heritage-class cutter, also known as the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Maritime Security Cutter, Medium, is a cutter class of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program and built by Eastern Shipbuilding.[4]
Construction of the first vessel in the class began in January 2019."

The Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter (Heritage class) is not meant to replace the Legend class cutters. It is supposed to replace the Famous and Reliant classes [Medium Endurance cutters.]

The OPCs will provide the majority of offshore presence for the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the 154-foot fast response cutters, which serve closer to shore. The OPCs will conduct missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. Each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups and serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.

And again there are two Navy Littoral Combat Ships, the Independence class and the Freedom class. This whole thread is regarding the Freedom class LCS which is a monohull design, not the trihull Independence class.

And last, the proposal is to replace some, not all, of the 25 planned OPCs (Heritage class) with reworked Freedom class LCSs, saving money.