Sentinel-class

The Sentinel-class cutter, designated the Fast Response Cutter (FRC), was developed as part of the United States Coast Guard’s Deepwater program to replace the 1980s-era Island-class patrol boats. In 2007, the Coast Guard replaced a flawed initial design with a modified version of the Damen Stan 4708 patrol vessel from the Netherlands-based Damen Group. Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana was contracted to build the vessels using this "off-the-shelf" technology. While the initial procurement plan projected a maximum of 34 cutters, current authorizations have expanded the class to 77 vessels.

The design utilizes a steel hull and includes a stern launching ramp for a jet-drive cutter boat. It incorporates underwater fins to mitigate rolling and pitching in heavy seas. The class meets Naval Sea Systems Command standards for two-compartment damaged stability and includes a reduced radar cross-section through specific hull shaping. Propulsion is provided by diesel engines and a bow thruster. Internal systems include a C4ISR suite, surface and air search radars, and an automated ship management system. A handheld device on the bridge allows for remote control of functions such as rudder movement and docking. Armament consists of a remote-operated machine gun system and multiple crew-served heavy machine guns. Accommodations are designed for mixed-gender crews and include a desalination unit and satellite television.

The class entered service in 2012 with the commissioning of the lead ship, USCGC Bernard C. Webber. Individual vessels are named after enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its precursor services. Cutters are homeported throughout the United States, including cohorts in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, and Alaska. Six vessels operate with Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) in Bahrain, representing the Coast Guard’s largest unit outside the United States.

Operational roles include ports and coastal security, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and defense operations. Service history includes the interdiction of refugees and narcotics; in 2017, the class conducted a seizure of four tons of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean. Cutters have also participated in major search operations and intercepted weaponry in the Red Sea. Despite design range specifications, class members have performed long-distance deployments from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands and American Samoa.