Sentinel Class Patrol Boat : Project Description
The Sentinel Class patrol boat project will deliver vital capability to the Coast Guard, helping to meet the service’s need for additional patrol boats. The current patrol boat gap hinders the Coast Guard’s ability to most successfully and efficiently complete all potential missions, and this critical FRC acquisition will help address these identified needs.
Capability
The Sentinel Class patrol boat will be 153 feet long, capable of speeds of 28 plus knots, armed with one stabilized, remotely-operated 25mm chain gun and four crew-served .50 caliber machine guns, and crew capabilities to hold 22 people. It will be able to perform independently for a minimum of 5 days at sea, and be underway for 2,500 hours per year.
The C4ISR systems on the Sentinel Class patrol boat will be fully interoperable with not only the Coast Guard’s existing and future assets, but those of our partners in the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
Acquisition Strategy
The Coast Guard selected a “parent-craft” design for the Sentinel Class patrol boat , to ensure that the operating force receives new patrol boats, capable of performing the required missions, as quickly as possible. The Coast Guard coined the term “parent craft” to describe the use of an existing ship design that has successfully performed equivalent missions.
The Coast Guard followed a disciplined acquisition strategy to the Sentinel Class patrol boat acquisition, including careful analysis of operational requirements; conducting worldwide market research; close consultation with Coast Guard technical authorities; use of the services of the U.S. Navy, use of independent commercial agents; a full and open competition, and an assessment of the most competitive designs put forth by industry in responses to the Coast Guard’s June 2007 solicitation.
The first Sentinel Class patrol boat will be delivered during the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 to Coast Guard District 7 in Miami, supporting vital migrant and contraband interdiction missions conducted throughout the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.