TSAMTO, August 16. The command of the US Coast Guard announced the launch ceremony of the new fast patrol boat FRC (Fast Response Cutter) of the Sentinel class-(WPC 1144) "Glen Harris", which took place at the Fort Macon base (North Carolina).
Transferred to the US Coast Guard in April 2021, the Glen Harris became the 167th boat delivered by the Bollinger company to the US Coast Guard in the last 35 years. The Glen Harris will be the third of six Sentinel-class boats to be stationed in Manama (Bahrain), where they will replace the Island-class patrol boats. The boats will be used as part of the Patrol Forces of Southwest Asia (a formation of the US Coast Guard stationed in Manama, Bahrain).
As reported by TSAMTO, the initial contract worth $ 88 million for the design and construction of the lead ship of the FRC (Fast Response Cutter) series was concluded following a tender with Bollinger Shipyards in September 2008. The Sentinel boats are designed to replace outdated Island-class boats. The agreement contained options for the supply of additional series boats to the Coast Guard. To date, the Coast Guard has ordered a total of 64 boats. 45 boats were handed over to the customer. The 45th FRC boat, (WPC 1145) "Emlen Tunnell" (Emlen Tunnell), was transferred to the US Coast Guard on July 1, 2021.
The Sentinel-class boat was developed on the basis of the Damen Stan Patrol 4708 project of the Dutch shipbuilding company Damen Shipyards. The length of the boat is 46.9 m, the displacement is about 353 tons, the speed is 28 knots, the cruising range is up to 2500 nautical miles, the autonomy is 5 days, the crew is 24 people. The armament includes a stabilized 25-mm AU and four 12.7-mm machine guns. The boats are designed to counter illegal migration and smuggling, control fishing, conduct search and rescue operations, ensure the security of ports and waterways.
