L3Harris Wins Comms Contract for USCG Offshore Patrol Cutter

L3Harris Technologies said it has received a contract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group to provide the integrated communications system for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).

The Coast Guard has said that the OPC program is the highest acquisition priority in the Coast Guard, providing the capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and Fast Response Cutter.

The initial award to L3Harris includes the design, development and production of the first two ship systems with options for up to as many as four OPC systems. L3Harris integrates its MarCom voice communications system, K2 tactical terminal and Symphony communications manager products. The L3Harris integrated system is also designed to support the Department of Defense’s cyber risk management framework requirements, providing Eastern Shipbuilding and the USCG with a lower-risk solution.

“The OPC award reinforces our investments in C5ISR technology and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bring integrated mission-critical capabilities to the Coast Guard,” said Dave Zack, President, Maritime, L3Harris. “L3Harris is continuing to develop a full range of highly reliable and affordable capabilities to enable secure interoperability across all military and interagency partners.”

Offshore patrol cutters will conduct missions, including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. Each cutter, equipped with L3Harris technology, 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 regulating and protecting emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.