Bollinger Shipyards delivers USCGC Robert Goldman Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter to US Coast Guard.

According to a press release published on December 21, 2020, Bollinger Shipyards LLC has delivered the USCGC ROBERT GOLDMAN to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. This is the 165th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 42nd Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (“FRC”) delivered under the current program.
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USCGC Robert Goldman, 42nd Sentinel-class Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter for U.S. Coast Guard (Picture source Bollinger Shipyards)

The USCGC ROBERT GOLDMAN is the second of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110’ Island Class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest overseas presence outside the United States.

Citing the United States Coast Guard website, thirty-six FRCs are stationed throughout the United States. Six each are in Miami and Key West, Florida; seven in San Juan, Puerto Rico; four in San Pedro, California; two in Ketchikan, Alaska; three in Cape May, New Jersey; three in Honolulu, Hawaii; two in Pascagoula, Mississippi; two in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and one in Galveston, Texas.

The Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) is designed for multiple missions, including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways, and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense.

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered 56 FRCs to date and plans to acquire a domestic fleet of 58 FRCs to replace the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats. The total value of the contract is currently approximately $1.23 billion. It will have a potential value of $1.42 billion if all options are exercised.

The Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter has a length of 46.8 m, a beam of 8.11 m, and a depth of 2.9 m. She is powered by two 4,300 kW (5,800 shp) MTU diesel engines. The ship can reach a top speed of 28 knots with a maximum cruising of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) and has an endurance of five days. She has a crew of 24 people.

The FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment; over the horizon cutter boat deployment to reach vessels of interest; and improved habitability and seakeeping. The bridge is equipped with a handheld device that allows crew members to remotely control the ship's functions, including rudder movement and docking.

The Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter is fitted with a remote-controlled weapon station armed with one 25 mm Bushmaster automatic cannon. The second armament includes four crew-served M2HB .50-caliber heavy machine guns.