The US Coast Guard has launched the service life extension program for the USCGC Legare (WMEC-912) Famous-class medium endurance cutter.
The program will modernize the vessel’s engine, electrical system, weapon system, and structural components for approximately 15 months.
Primary tasks incorporate the replacement of specific systems to address the “reliability, supportability, and obsolescence” of the ship, which has been in service since 1990.
Work on the Lagare will take place at the Baltimore Coast Guard Yard in Maryland.
In-Service Vessel Sustainment
According to the update, the initiative is part of the Department of Defense’s broader In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) program, a strategic class-by-class evaluation of the coast guard’s active surface fleets.
Each system covered by this effort is assessed as to whether it should undergo a major revamp to reach or extend its operational life.
The coast guard noted that the ISVS uses the most efficient option possible to cut overhaul timelines and spending.
Alongside the Legare, the service is completing work on the USCGC Spencer (WMEC-905), which was the first to receive the Famous-class service life extension program repairs in August 2023.
The cutters Escanaba (WMEC-907), Tahoma (WMEC-908), Campbell (WMEC-909), and Forward (WMEC-911) will also receive overhauls in the future until 2029.
The Famous Medium Endurance Cutter
The US Coast Guard’s Famous-class cutter is a 270-foot (82-meter) long ship designed for over six weeks of patrol missions in the Atlantic or Pacific regions.
It sails with twin Alco V18 engines, twin Caterpillar V12 diesel generators, and twin controllable pitch propellers for a speed of 19.5 knots (36 kilometers/22 miles per hour) and a range of 9,900 nautical miles (18,335 kilometers/11,393 miles).
The vessel can carry up to 100 personnel and medium-sized helicopters similar to the HH-65 Dolphin or HH-60J Jayhawk.
The Famous is equipped with a surface search radar, shipboard electronic warfare suite, naval gun, and machine guns.
