USCG takes delivery of sixth Sentinel-class patrol boat

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has received the sixth Sentinel-class patrol boat or fast response cutter (FRC), Paul Clark from Bollinger Shipyards in Key West, Florida, US.

Bollinger new construction executive vice president Chris Bollinger said, "The PAUL CLARK was delivered to the 7th Coast Guard District in Key West, FL, and will be stationed at USCG Sector Miami."

Scheduled to be commissioned in August 2013, the vessel has been named to honour an enlisted Coast Guard, Fireman First Class Paul Clark for supporting military service during the allied assault on French Morocco during World War II.

The Paul Clark craft has been developed based on in-service parent craft design of the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708.

The 46.93m-long cutter boats are capable of cruising at a speed of 28k and will replace the USCG’s ageing fleet of 110ft Island-class cutters.

Powered by two 20-cylinder MTU TIER II diesel engines, Sentinel-class cutters are armed with remotely operated Bushmaster 25mm chain-fed autocannon.

The USCG will deploy the ship to conduct a range of missions, which include port and coastal security, marine safety, marine environmental protection, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and national-defence operations.

The boat’s command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) equipment are fully interoperable with the USCG’s existing and future units as well as partners in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).