According to a PR published by Bollinger Shipyards LLC on May 11, 2023, the company has delivered the USCGC John Patterson to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida.
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Fast Response Cutter USCGC John Patterson. (Picture source: Bollinger Shipyards)
The USCGC John Patterson will be the fourth of six FRCs to be homeported in Sector Boston, which is known as “The Birthplace of the Coast Guard.” The sector is responsible for coastal safety, security, and environmental protection from the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border southward to Plymouth, Massachusetts out to 200nm offshore.
Sector Boston directs over 1,500 Active Duty, Reserve, and Auxiliary members whose mission is to protect and secure vital infrastructure, rescue mariners in peril at sea, enforce federal law, maintain navigable waterways, and respond to all hazards impacting the maritime transportation system, and coastal region.
Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. While attached to an LST during the invasion at Anzio, Italy, Coxswain Patterson volunteered as a member of a boat crew to go the side of a burning LST during a full gale in an effort to rescue personnel trapped below decks.
Despite the fact the blazing ship was pitching and rolling in a dangerous manner and ammunition was exploding he aided in the rescue of a soldier, trapped in a lower compartment and brought him to safety.
About the FRC
The Fast Response Cutter is a sophisticated vessel with a displacement of 353 long tons, equivalent to 359 metric tons. Its overall length is 46.8 meters, or 154 feet, with a beam or width measuring 8.11 meters and a depth of 2.9 meters.
The propulsion system of the cutter comprises two MTU diesel engines, each with a power output of 4,300 kW, and a 75 kW bow thruster for enhanced maneuverability. This allows the cutter to reach speeds of over 28 knots.
The vessel has an endurance of 5 days and can cover a distance of up to 2,500 nautical miles. It's designed to remain on patrol for a total of 2,500 hours annually.
In terms of auxiliary craft, the cutter carries one Cutter Boat – Over the Horizon – equipped with a jet drive. It's operated by a complement of four officers and twenty crew members.
For navigation and defense, the cutter is equipped with an L-3 C4ISR suite, the AN/SPS-78 surface search and navigation radar, the AN/SPS-50 surface search radar, and the AN/APX-123(V)1 IFF. The ship automation is provided by MTU Callosum.
In terms of armament, the cutter is armed with a Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm Machine Gun System and four crew-served Browning M2 machine guns.
