The US Coast Guard (USCG) received its 31st Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Terrell Horne, in Key West, Florida, on 31 October.
This will be the third FRC to be stationed in San Pedro, California.
The FRCs are replacing the 110ft patrol boats from the 1980s-era and feature advanced C4ISR equipment, improved habitability and seakeeping, and over-the-horizon cutter boat launch and recovery from astern or via side davits.
The 154ft long FRC has an endurance of at least five days and can reach a maximum speed of over 28kt.
The USCG has ordered 50 FRCs to date of which twenty-eight are in service: 12 in Florida, six in Puerto Rico, two in Alaska, two in New Jersey, two in Mississippi, two in Hawaii and two in North Carolina.
The contract was awarded to HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division and General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB). As well as for the building of the boats, contract money will also go towards improving productivity at the shipyards, workforce support and other investment.
The approved purchase is for Tomahawk Block IV and Block V missiles, control systems, telemetry missiles and communication and broadcast systems.
The Philippine Navy is fast-tracking its maritime modernisation with new warships, unmanned platforms, and international shipbuilding partnerships to bolster its regional deterrence posture.
Taiwan is strengthening its deterrence against the PLA through an asymmetric arsenal that includes fast mine-laying vessels and domestically developed UAVs.
L3Harris is targeting European naval modernisation with new uncrewed surface vessels, SATCOM partnerships, and regional investments including defence exercises and facility openings.
In an exclusive interview with Shephard, DSTA chief Ng Chad-son outlines how the agency is reshaping defence tech development through deeper collaboration with industry partners, from AI-enhanced radar to smart naval munitions.
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