USCG receives seventh Sentinel-class patrol boat

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has received the seventh Sentinel-class patrol boat or fast response cutter (FRC), Charles David Jr from Bollinger Shipyards in Key West, Florida, US, on-time and on-budget.

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

The 154ft-long Charles David Jr craft has been developed based on in-service parent craft design of the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708.

Designed to replace the aging fleet of 110ft-long Island-class cutters for the USCG, the Sentinel-class FRCs have a beam of 7.74m, displacement capacity of 353t and can endure for a minimum of five days at sea.

Scheduled to be commissioned in November 2013, the vessel has been named to honour an enlisted Coast Guard, Stewards-Mate First Class Charles W. David, Jr who was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery.

The boats can be independently deployed to conduct missions such as port and coastal security, marine safety, marine environmental protection, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and national-defence operations.

Capable of accommodating a crew of 22, including 18 enlisted, two chief petty officers and two officers, the vessels feature Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) equipment.

Image: USCG’s Charles David Jr boat at sea. Photo: courtesy of Bollinger Shipyards Inc.