USCG takes delivery of 26th FRC Joseph Gerczak from Bollinger

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has taken delivery of the 26th Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC), the future USCGC Joseph Gerczak, from Bollinger Shipyards.

The ship has been named in honour of an enlisted Coast Guard hero Joseph Gerczak, a signalman third class who sacrificed his life during an assault against the Japanese.

Bollinger president and CEO Ben Bordelon said that the FRC will be the second unit to be stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. The vessel will be commissioned on 9 March 2018.

Bordelon said: “FRCs already in commission have seized multiple tons of narcotics, interdicted thousands of illegal aliens and saved many lives.

"The FRC programme is a model programme for government acquisition and has surpassed all historical quality benchmarks for vessels of this type and complexity.

“The results are the delivery of truly extraordinary Coast Guard cutters that will serve our Nation for decades to come.

“We are extremely proud that the Fast Response Cutters built by Louisiana craftsmen here at Bollinger Shipyards are having such a major impact on our country’s safety and security.”

Designed based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708, the 154ft-long FRC is capable of cruising at a flank speed of 28k.

The patrol craft is equipped with an advanced command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26ft-long cutter boat.

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Image: An USCG Sentinel-class fast response cutter. Photo: courtesy of Bollinger Shipyards LLC.