Rear Adm. Blore Tours Cutter

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Gary T. Blore, center, program executive officer for the Integrated Deepwater System, toured Bertholf (WMSL 750), the first National Security Cutter being erected at Northrop Grumman's facility in Pascagoula, Miss.

James Anton, executive vice president of Integrated Coast Guard Systems, left, and Royce Winbush, general ship superintendent, right, escorted Rear Adm. Blore through various areas of the new ship. Bertholf, a 418-foot Legend-class cutter, is part of the Integrated Deepwater System, a critical multi-year, multi-billion dollar program to modernize and replace the Coast Guard's aging ships and aircraft, and improve command-and-control and logistics systems.

Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, is handling the Deepwater contract. Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector will build eight National Security Cutters as part of the Deepwater program. Last week, a major milestone in the ship's construction was accomplished with the landing of the mast background. The ship, which is over 51 percent complete, will be christened this fall.