Over the summer, the U.S. Coast Guard received its latest Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC), the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry (WPC-1140), from Bollinger Shipyards.
The 154-foot cutter, which is in Florida for pre-commissioning trials and maintenance, is set to arrive in Santa Rita, Guam, later this year, the agency said..
“The fast response cutters are a real game changer here in the Pacific for the Coast Guard,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Conway, the Coast Guard 14th District’s patrol boat manager. “Already the FRCs stationed here in Hawaii are conducting longer missions over greater distances than the older patrol boats they are replacing.”
Named after the first African American Coast Guardsman who paved the way for minorities within the agency, Cutter Oliver Henry will become the second of a trio of fast response cutters based in Gaum. All will be able to conduct search and rescue, marine protection enforcement and other missions.
“Here in the Pacific one of our greatest challenges is distance,” said Conway. “With the FRCs boasting a larger crew size and greater endurance, they are able to complete missions both close to shore and over the horizon, aiding both the people of Guam and our partners in the region.”