Sentinel-Class Cutter

The Sentinel-class cutter, previously known as the Fast Response Cutter, is part of the United States Coast Guard's Deepwater program. At 46.8 metres (154 ft) it is similar to, but larger than the 123-foot (37 m) extended Island-class patrol boats, like the USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303). 24 to 58 vessels are to be built by the Louisiana based firm Bollinger shipyards, using a design from the Netherlands-based Damen Group, with the Sentinel design based on the company's Damen Stan 4708 patrol vessel.

Operators: United States Coast Guard
Planned: 58
Active: 4
General characteristics
Displacement: 353 long tons
Length: 46.8 m (154 ft)
Beam: 8.11 m (26.6 ft)
Depth: 2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion: 2 × 4,300 kilowatts (5,800 shp)
1 × 75 kilowatts (101 shp) bow thruster
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Endurance: 5 days, 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
Designed to be on patrol 2,500 hours per year
Boats & landing
craft carried:
1 × Short Range Prosecutor RHIB
Complement: 2 officers, 20 crew
Sensors and
processing systems:
L-3 C4ISR suite
Armament: 1 × Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm automatic gun
4 × crew-served Browning M2 machine guns

Design and construction

The vessels are armed with a remote-control 25 mm Bushmaster autocannon and four, crew-served M2HB .50-caliber machine guns. They have a bow thruster for maneuvering in crowded anchorages and channels. They also have small underwater fins, for coping with the rolling and pitching caused by large waves. They are equipped with a stern launching ramp, like the Marine Protector-class and the eight failed expanded Island-class cutters. They are manned by a crew of 22. Like the Marine Protector class, and the cancelled extended Island-class cutters, the Fast Response Cutter would deploy the Short Range Prosecutor Rigid-hulled inflatable (SRP or RHIB) for rescues and interceptions. According to Marine Log, modifications to the Coast Guard vessels from the Stan 4708 design include an increase in speed from 23 to 28 knots (43 to 52 km/h; 26 to 32 mph), fixed pitch rather than variable pitch propellers, stern launch capability, and watertight bulkheads.

On February 7, 2013, the Department of Homeland Security requested tenders from third party firms to independently inspect the cutters, during their construction, and their performance trials.

Ships

On October 27, the Coast Guard released the names of the first 14 Coast Guard enlisted heroes for whom the Sentinel-class FRCs will be named.

Six vessel are budgeted to be procured in 2013.

Sentinel-class cutters
 Name   Number   Builder   Launched   Commissioned   Home port   Status 
Bernard C. Webber WPC-1101 Bollinger Shipyards 2011-04-21 2012-04-14 Miami, FL In commission
Richard Etheridge WPC-1102 Bollinger Shipyards 2011-08-19 2012-08-03 Miami, FL In commission
William Flores WPC-1103 Bollinger Shipyards 2011-11-10 2012-11-03 Miami, FL Commissioned
Robert Yered WPC-1104 Bollinger Shipyards 2012-11-23 2013-02-17 Miami, FL Commissioned
Margaret Norvell WPC-1105 Bollinger Shipyards 2013-01 2013-06-01 Miami, FL Commissioned
Paul Clark WPC-1106 Bollinger Shipyards 2013-05-18 2013-08-24 Miami, FL Commissioned
Charles David WPC-1107 Bollinger Shipyards 2013-08-20 2013-11 Key West, FL delivered
Charles W. Sexton WPC-1108 Bollinger Shipyards Key West, FL under construction
Kathleen Moore WPC-1109 Bollinger Shipyards Key West, FL under construction
Joseph Napier WPC-1110 Bollinger Shipyards Key West, FL under construction
William Trump WPC-1111 Bollinger Shipyards Key West, FL under construction
Isaac Mayo WPC-1112 Bollinger Shipyards Key West, FL under construction
Richard Dixon WPC-1113 Bollinger Shipyards Puerto Rico under construction
Heriberto Hernandez WPC-1114 Bollinger Shipyards Puerto Rico under construction

Source

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