According to information published by Bollinger Shipyards LLC on March 3, 2023, the company has delivered the USCGC Maurice Jester to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida.
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Fast Response Cutter USCGC Maurice Jester. (Picture source: Bollinger Shipyards)
The USCGC Maurice Jester will be the third 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.
About the FRC
They have a displacement of 353 long tons (or 359 metric tons), a length of 46.8 meters (154 feet), a beam (width) of 8.11 meters (26.6 feet), and a depth of 2.9 meters (9.5 feet).
The cutter is powered by two MTU diesel engines that generate a total of 4,300 kilowatts (5,800 shaft horsepower), allowing her to achieve a top speed of over 28 knots. She also has a bow thruster with a power of 75 kilowatts (101 shaft horsepower) for improved maneuverability.
In terms of endurance, the FRC is designed to operate for up to 5 days and cover a distance of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 kilometers or 2,900 miles) before needing to refuel. It is also designed to be on patrol for up to 2,500 hours per year.
She has a complement of 4 officers and 20 crew members, and is equipped with various sensors and processing systems, including an L-3 C4ISR suite and AN/SPS-78 and AN/SPS-50 surface search radars. The FRC also has an AN/APX-123(V)1 identification friend or foe (IFF) system provided by MTU Callosum.
For armament, the cutter has a Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm machine gun system and four crew-served Browning M2 machine guns. It also carries a Cutter Boat – Over the Horizon – Jet-drive for transportation and other purposes.
