USCG commissions 17th cutter
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has commissioned USCG cutter Donald Horsley, the 17th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) or Sentinel-class cutter, it announced on 20 May.
This is the fifth FRC to be stationed in the San Juan sector of the USCG. Another 12 FRCs are currently in service in Florida, with six in Key West and six in Miami.
The FRC is designed for near-offshore patrolling for missions such as search and rescue, law enforcement, defence readiness and coastal, port and waterway security.
It replaces the 110ft Island-class patrol boats. It has a length of 154ft, beam of 25ft, top speed of over 28 knots and endurance of five days. The vessels can launch and recover over-the-horizon cutter boats from side davits or astern.
Of the 58 FRCs planned by the USCG, 38 have been ordered so far. The next FRC will also be commissioned for stationing in San Juan. It is scheduled for delivery in June 2016.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
