Bayou La Batre and Coast Guard Mark Ship Milestone

A New Era for Waterway Commerce

In Bayou La Batre, sparks flew as the city, Birdon shipyard, and the U.S. Coast Guard celebrated a significant milestone in the development of a new class of ships. These vessels are set to play a crucial role in maintaining the flow of commerce along the nation’s waterways for years to come.

The event marked the triple keel authentication ceremony for three Waterway Commerce Cutters, which are the first in a new class designed to replace aging vessels that have been in service for over 60 years. A large group of Coast Guard members attended the ceremony, highlighting the importance of this initiative.

Master Chief Petty Officer Phillip N. Waldron emphasized the vital role these cutters will play in ensuring America’s economic prosperity. He explained that their primary mission is to facilitate commerce along the inland river system. “Economic prosperity is national defense,” Waldron stated. “Every year, 422 million tons of cargo worth $57 billion flow through these rivers. And they’re guided by the aids of navigation that these cutters will soon hook, hang and set.”

Honoring Heroes Through Ship Names

The new class of ships will be known as the Chief Petty Officer Class, a name chosen to reflect the critical role that chiefs play within the Coast Guard. The first three cutters will be named after veterans who demonstrated exceptional service during their careers.

These names include:

• Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Alan Thiele– who became the fifth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, the service’s senior enlisted member.
• Chief Warrant Officer Fred Permenter– who rescued several men thrown overboard during a failed launch in 1951.
• Chief Boatswain’s Mate Samuel Wilson– who led a dangerous mission in 1979 to rescue the crew of a Japanese fishing vessel that had run aground during a winter storm in Alaska.

Relatives of the honored veterans participated in the ceremony by burning their initials into steel plates that will become part of the vessels’ structures. Barbara Wilson, widow of Samuel Wilson, expressed her pride in the honor. “When Sam was a skinny 21-year-old who joined the Coast Guard in 1963, I’m sure he had no idea that 60 years later he would be having a Coast Guard ship named after him.”

A Legacy of Service and Innovation

The development of the cutter program began in 2018, with the goal of replacing 35 older vessels that were built from nine different designs, some dating back to World War II or the 1950s. The new cutters will maintain over 28,200 marine aids across 12,000 miles of inland waterways, supporting an annual movement of 630 million tons of cargo.

Each ship is more than 65 feet long and capable of carrying crews of up to 19 for missions lasting more than a week. They will perform various tasks such as search and rescue, ports and waterways security, marine safety, and environmental protection.

A Major Investment in Maritime Infrastructure

Birdon America, a subsidiary of the Australia-based Birdon Group, was awarded a $1.187 billion contract to design and build 27 of the cutters. These vessels will be divided into two variants: River Buoy Tenders and Inland Construction Tenders.

In 2024, Birdon acquired a 32-acre Metal Shark shipyard on Shell Belt Road in Bayou La Batre. The company plans to invest $38 million in the yard, including upgrades like a 65,000-square-foot vessel fabrication center equipped with a revolutionary welding system supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A Community Effort

Bayou La Batre Mayor Henry Barnes shared a light-hearted moment at the ceremony, joking about his past as a tugboat captain. “I would get nervous because I knew y’ all were going to inspect me,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “And I always hoped y’ all would find something so we could go to the shipyard and have a few days off.”

Barnes also expressed pride in Birdon’s presence in the community, noting that boats built in Bayou La Batre can be found worldwide. “We’re very proud of Birdon, of what they’ve done, and we hope we continue this partnership in the future.”

Birdon President Tony Ardito acknowledged the contributions of the local community, stating, “To the Bayou La Batre and Mobile communities, this achievement belongs to you.” He highlighted the town’s authentic marine heritage and its connection to the working waterfront.

Looking Ahead

Waldron shared his personal connection to the project, noting that he was born in Mobile and served aboard the cutter Buckthorn, one of the oldest ships in the service. “The fact that she’s going strong after 62 years, after leaving the yards right here in south Alabama, I can’t wait to see what the Chief Petty Officer-class cutters are going to accomplish in the next coming decades.”

He expects the first of the new ships to enter service in 2027 or 2028. Meanwhile, Alabama continues to play a key role in the Coast Guard’s future, with Austal USA in Mobile building Offshore Patrol Cutters to replace older vessels used along the coast and in open ocean areas.