Bollinger Shipyards has handed over the 58th Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) to the US Coast Guard in Key West, Florida.
The delivery is part of a decade-long program to integrate 67 new vessels to replace the service’s 1980s-era platforms in their defense, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, environmental protection, and Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security roles.
The latest boat, the John Witherspoon (WPC-1158), is the first to be homeported in Kodiak, Alaska, under the effort.
“We are honored to deliver John Witherspoon to the US Coast Guard, continuing our proud tradition of providing high-quality, mission-ready vessels,” Bollinger CEO and President Ben Bordelon stated.
“We’re confident John Witherspoon will serve its crew well in their mission of defending our nation’s national security interests over a vast and challenging area of responsibility.”
USCGC John Witherspoon
The Witherspoon was named after the first African-American coast guard commander of a medium-class endurance cutter. He enlisted in 1963 and became a commissioned ensign in 1971.
He was granted a Meritorious Service Medal, two Commendation Medals, and a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award.
After his passing, Witherspoon became the inspiration for the coast guard’s Captain John G. Witherspoon Inspirational Leadership Award given to officers who demonstrate “honor, respect, and devotion to duty.”
The Sentinel FRC
The Sentinel is a 47-meter (154-foot) cutter with a beam of 8 meters (26 feet) that is designed to operate for up to five days straight.
It is powered by twin MTU engines with 5,800 horsepower each and a single bow thruster with 101 horsepower for a speed of more than 28 knots (52 kilometers/32 miles per hour).
The vessel can carry over 20 people and has space for one over-the-horizon small boat.
The Sentinel’s weaponry incorporates crew-served shipboard machine guns or mounted heavy machine guns.
Bollinger shipped the 57th Sentinel to the US Coast Guard in June, a month after the company signed a contract option to construct two more vessels.