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U.S. Coast Guard commissions first Sentinel class Fast Response Cutter Homeported in Key West, FL

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Naval Forces News - USCG
 
 
 
U.S. Coast Guard commissions first Sentinel class Fast Response Cutter Homeported in Key West, FL
 
The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. was commissioned at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., Nov. 16, 2013. The cutter Charles David Jr. is the first Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Key West and is capable of conducting missions such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney.
     
The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. was commissioned at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., Nov. 16, 2013. The cutter Charles David Jr. is the first Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Key West and is capable of conducting missions such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney.
The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. was commissioned at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., Nov. 16, 2013. The cutter Charles David Jr. is the first Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Key West and is capable of conducting missions such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney.
     
The Sentinel Class FRCs are designed to conduct maritime drug interdiction, alien migrant interdiction, search and rescue, national defense, homeland security, living marine resources and other Coast Guard missions. This class of patrol boat is capable of deploying independently to execute Coast Guard missions and prevent potential threats from approaching our shores and offers vastly improved capabilities over the aging 110-foot Island class patrol boats it replaces. The FRC is part of the Coast Guard's layered approach to maritime security that includes the National Security Cutter and the Offshore Patrol Cutter.
     
The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. was commissioned at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., Nov. 16, 2013. The cutter Charles David Jr. is the first Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Key West and is capable of conducting missions such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney. The U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter Charles David, Jr. (WPC 1107), moors at Mallory Square for public tours. The cutter's commissioning ceremony, sponsored by the Key West Navy League Commissioning Committee, is Nov. 16. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Morales/ Released
     
Coast Guard Cutter Charles W. David, Jr., homeported in Key West, is 154-feet long, has a beam of 25-feet, and a maximum sustained speed of more than 28 knots. The Charles David is armed with a stabilized 25mm machine-gun mount and four crew-served .50-caliber machine guns.

The cutter’s namesake is Steward’s Mate First Class Charles W. David, Jr. David enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1941 and was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Comanche. The night of Feb. 3, 1943, the Comanche was on convoy duty in the North Atlantic Ocean when it was called to the aid of the U.S. Army transport USAT Dorchester, which had been torpedoed by an enemy submarine and was quickly sinking.