TSAMTO, November 3. The Command of the US Coast Guard announced the ceremony of commissioning a new fast patrol boat FRC (Fast Response Cutter) of the Sentinel class – (WPC 1145) "Emlen Tunnell" (Emlen Tunnell), which took place in Philadelphia.
Transferred to the US Coast Guard in July 2021, the Emlen Tannell became the 45th Sentinel-class boat and the 168th boat supplied by Bollinger to the US Coast Guard over the past 35 years. The Emlen Tannell will be the fourth of six Sentinel-class boats to be stationed in Manama (Bahrain), where the Island-class patrol boats will be replaced. The boats will be used as part of the Patrol Forces of Southwest Asia (the formation of the US Coast Guard, stationed in Manama, Bahrain). As planned, the Emlen Tannell will be sent to the place of service later this year, along with the Glen Harris, which was adopted in August (WPC 1144). Two more boats will join them in 2022.
As reported by TSAMTO, the initial contract worth $ 88 million for the design and construction of the FRC (Fast Response Cutter) series lead ship was concluded based on the results of a tender with Bollinger Shipyards in September 2008. Sentinel boats are designed to replace outdated Island class boats.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 Sentinel-class boats.
The Sentinel-class boat was developed on the basis of the Damen Stan Patrol 4708 project by the Dutch shipbuilding company Damen Shipyards. The length of the boat is 46.9 m, displacement - about 353 tons, speed - 28 knots, cruising range - up to 2500 nautical miles, autonomy - 5 days, crew - 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, and ensure the security of ports and waterways.
