Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the 56th Sentinel-class fast response cutter to the US Coast Guard in Key West, Florida.
The USCGC David Duren (WPC-1156) is part of a 2008 framework agreement to acquire a new offshore fleet to replace the service’s Island-class patrol boats inducted in the 1980s.
The ships are deployed for ports, waterways, coastal defense missions, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and environmental protection.
Depending on the batch, the fast response cutters are grouped by specific regions or areas of interest to maintain security for the homeland.
For this purpose, the WPC-1156 will be the first of three ships to be homeported to the coast guard’s Sector Columbia River, also known as “The Protectors of the Pacific Northwest.”
“We’re incredibly proud to deliver the USCGC David Duren, the first of three Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Astoria, Oregon,” Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon stated.
“We’re confident that pound for pound, the quality and capabilities of the platform are unmatched and that this vessel will outperform its mission requirements and expectations in the challenging conditions where it will operate in the Pacific Northwest.
“Our unique experience building for the Coast Guard is unparalleled and has shown time and time again that we successfully deliver the highest quality vessels on a reliable, aggressive production schedule. We look forward to continuing our historic partnership with the US Coast Guard.”
US Coast Guard Sentinels
The US Coast Guard’s fast response cutters are based on the Stan 4708 patrol vessel first developed by Dutch shipyard Damen Group.
A Sentinel measures 154 feet (47 meters) long and has a beam of 27 feet (8 meters).
It is powered by two 5,800-horsepower diesel engines for a maximum speed of over 28 knots (52 kilometers/32 miles per hour) and endurance of five days at a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 kilometers/3,000 miles).
A ship can carry up to 24 personnel and a single rigid-hulled inflatable boat.
The fleet can be armed with stabilized 25-millimeter mounted machine guns as well as crew-served .50-caliber machine guns.
The US Department of Defense plans to integrate 66 Sentinels into the coast guard.