USCG receives Benjamin Bottoms
The US Coast Guard (USCG) received its 32nd Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Benjamin Bottoms, in Key West, Florida, on 8 January.
Benjamin Bottoms will be the fourth FRC stationed in San Pedro, California, and is scheduled to be commissioned in May.
The 154ft Sentinel-class FRCs feature advanced C4ISR equipment to perform a wide range of missions including SAR; national defence; ports, waterways and coastal security; drug and migrant interdiction; and fisheries patrols.
The cutters have improved habitability and seakeeping and over-the-horizon cutter boat launch and recovery capabilities. The vessels can reach a maximum speed of 28kt and have an endurance of at least five days.
To date, the USCG has ordered 50 FRCs of which 29 are in service: 12 in Florida, six in Puerto Rico, one in California and two each in Alaska, New Jersey, Mississippi, Hawaii and North Carolina.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![RTX Raytheon advances with the development of new Barracuda mine neutraliser]()
RTX Raytheon advances with the development of new Barracuda mine neutraliser
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
-
![Future of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke programme remains unclear]()
Future of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke programme remains unclear
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.
-
![US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes]()
US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes
The US Navy (USN) is currently reassessing its acquisition efforts and seeking ways to reduce the multiple delays across the shipbuilding initiatives.
