Bollinger Shipyards has officially transferred the US Coast Guard’s 61st Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter, the USCGC Olivia Hooker (WPC 1161), during a ceremony in Key West, Florida.
The vessel will be homeported in Pascagoula, Mississippi, joining the USCGC Benjamin B. Dailey (WPC 1123) and USCGC Jacob Poroo (WPC 1125) as part of the region’s expanding fleet.
The handover follows a $1-billion contract award for 10 new FRCs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extending the total fleet to 77 cutters and adding roughly three years to the program’s production schedule beyond 2028.
As reported by the US Maritime Administration, the program has generated over $2 billion in economic output, directly supporting 650 jobs in Southeast Louisiana and 1,700 more through indirect employment.
Commissioned in 2012, the Sentinel-class FRCs are designed to replace the Island-class patrol boats, delivering enhanced endurance, surveillance, and mission versatility for defense, security, and interdiction roles.
Each cutter spans 47 meters (154 feet), houses 20 crew members, and integrates state-of-the-art sensors, navigation systems, and friend-or-foe identification tools.
Armed with a 25-mm gun and multiple crew-served weapons, the vessels rely on twin MTU engines producing 5,800 horsepower and a 1,010-horsepower bow thruster, achieving 28+ knots and a 2,500-nautical-mile range.
