Huntington Ingalls launches 8th National Security Cutter for Coast Guard

Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries launched its eighth National Security Cutter vessel, Midgett, for the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday.

Midgett, a Legend-class cutter, launched off a dock in Pascagoula, Miss., Wednesday morning and will be christened during a ceremony Dec. 9.

"As the National Security Cutter program continues to mature, we are providing our Coast Guard customer the best ships in their fleet," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. "Our shipbuilders know and understand the importance of quality in building these highly capable cutters so the men and women of the Coast Guard can perform their important national security missions."

Legend-class cutters are being designed and procured to replace the service's legacy Hamilton-class cutters, which have been in service since the 1960s.

The Legend class is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter, which are considered the centerpiece of the Coast Guard's fleet.

The vessel was named to honor John Allen Midgett, who was awarded the Silver Cup by the U.K. Board of Trade in 1918. Midgett received the award for rescuing 42 British sailors aboard the British tanker Mirlo after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of North Carolina.