USCG FRC arrives in Hawaii
The US Coast Guard’s (USCG’s) new Sentinel class cutter Oliver Berry has arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, the US Pacific Command announced on 25 September.
The vessel is the first of three Honolulu-based fast response cutters (FRC) that will primarily serve the main Hawaiian Islands.
The 154ft FRCs are designed to patrol coastal regions and feature advanced C4ISR equipment. The cutters also have the ability to launch and recover standardised small boats from the stern.
The USCG is acquiring 58 FRCs to replace the 110ft Island-class patrol boats. The FRCs are designed for missions including search and rescue; fisheries enforcement; drug and migrant interdiction, ports, waterways and coastal security and national defence.
The USCG took delivery of Oliver Berry on 27 June in Key West. The vessel will be commissioned in October this year. Three FRCs are to be stationed at Base Honolulu by the spring of 2019.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
US turns to allies to tackle navy shipbuilding backlog
A White House memorandum acknowledges US Navy shipbuilding backlogs and a weakened industrial base, opening a formal path for South Korean and Japanese yards to help rebuild capacity.
-
US Navy’s $275 billion BBGN plan hinges on shipyard transformation
The US Navy’s planned nuclear-powered warship carries a US$275 billion price tag, but the greater story lies in the industrial overhaul needed to build it, from AI-enabled design to digital twins and modular construction.
-
RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus UUV has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation as the company prepares additional demonstrations with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
-
Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.