Bollinger Shipyards commissions new Sentinel-class fast response cutter

Industry

US-based constructor of ships, workboats and patrol vessels Bollinger Shipyards has commissioned the newest Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) USCGC Emlen Tunnell.

Bollinger Shipyards

Named in honor of USCG hero and NFL great Emlen Tunnell, the cutter is the fourth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the ageing Island-class patrol boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago.

Photo by Bollinger Shipyards

The US Coast Guard took delivery of the 50-meter USCGC EMLEN TUNNELL in Key West, Florida in July this year. The cutter is the 168 vessel Bollinger has delivered to the Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 45 FRC delivered under the current program. 

FRCs have a maximum speed of over 28 knots, a range of 2,500 nautical miles and an endurance of five days.

The ships are designed for multiple missions, including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense.

In August this year, the US Coast Guard exercised a contract option with Bollinger Shipyards for the construction of four more Sentinel-class fast response cutters (FRCs).

This option brings the total number of FRCs under contract with Bollinger to 64 and the total value of the Phase 2 contract to approximately $1.7 billion.

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Earlier this year, the shipbuilding company submitted its proposal to the US Coast Guard to build Stage 2 of the Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) program. If chosen, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 vessels to the US Coast Guard over the next decade.