Base Los Angeles-Long Beach welcomed the US Coast Guard’s first California-based Sentinel-Class fast response cutter on August 11.
USCGC Forrest Rednour arrived in San Pedro, Los Angeles, where the crew will begin training to become certified in law enforcement and rescue operations.
The Forrest Rednour is the first of four FRCs to be homeported 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 homeport in San Pedro,” said Lt. Graham Sherman, the 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.”
FRC’s 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.