Coast Guard's first California-based FRC arrives in San Pedro

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The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(SAN PEDRO, Calif.) — The Coast Guard's first California-based Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) arrived in San Pedro on Saturday morning.

The Coast Guard cutter Forrest Rednour arrived at its new home port at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach, where the crew will begin training to become certified in law enforcement and rescue operations. 

Forrest Rednour is the first of four FRCs to be home-ported at Base Los Angeles-Long Beach and is scheduled to be officially commissioned in the fall.

"This ship and the three other fast response cutters bound for California will help strengthen our security and emergency response capabilities in the Pacific Southwest," said Rear Adm. Peter Gautier, the 11th Coast Guard District commander. "Working with our partner agencies, we will continue to protect our global supply chain, disrupt the transnational criminal organizations that smuggle drugs and traffic humans into our nation, and keep our waterways safe and secure."

Three additional FRCs are scheduled to arrive and be commissioned by summer of 2019. While these ships will be based in San Pedro, they will operate throughout the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes all of California and international waters off of Mexico and Central America.  

"We are excited and honored to bring the Forrest Rednour to her new home port in San Pedro," said Lt. Graham Sherman, Forrest Rednour's commanding officer. "We are absolutely humbled to bring this cutter to life and the Coast Guard could not have selected a better crew to honor Forrest Rednour. This crew will do a phenomenal job of serving the people of California by keeping the coasts, harbors and shipping channels safe and secure."

FRCs are 154-foot multi-mission ships designed to conduct: drug and migrant interdictions; ports, waterways and coastal security operations; fisheries and environmental protection patrols; national defense missions; and search and rescue.

To date, the Coast Guard has accepted delivery of 29 FRCs. Each ship is designed for a crew of 24, has a range of 2,500 miles and is equipped for patrols up to five days. The FRCs are part of the Coast Guard’s overall fleet modernization initiative.

FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment as well as over-the-horizon response boat deployment capability and improved habitability for the crew. The ships can reach speeds of 28 knots and are equipped to coordinate operations with partner agencies and long-range Coast Guard assets such as the Coast Guard’s national security cutters.

By Professional Mariner Staff