The US Coast Guard has received the Sentinel-class cutter USCGC Melvin Bell (WPC-1155) from shipbuilding company Bollinger in Key West, Florida.
The fast-response cutter is expected to conduct multiple missions, ranging from drug and migrant interdiction to search and rescue and national defense operations.
WPC-1155 is the 55th Sentinel-class cutter delivered to the coast guard by the shipyard, which began supplying the class back in 2011.
The ship will be homeported at the coast guard’s Sector Boston in Massachusetts, where it will join five other Sentinel-class ships. Lieutenant Patrick Kelly will serve as its commanding officer.
Melvin Bell’s Vital Role
The ship will aid its homeport in coastal safety, security, and environmental protection from the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border southward to Plymouth, out to 200 nautical miles (230 miles/370 kilometers) offshore.
Bollinger President and CEO Ben Bordelon stressed the importance of the ship to the coast guard’s ongoing maritime operations in the region.
“We’re confident that pound for pound, the quality and capabilities of the FRC platform are unmatched and that this vessel will outperform its mission requirements and expectations in the challenging conditions where it will operate in the North Atlantic,” he said.
“Our unique experience building for the Coast Guard is unparalleled and has shown time and time again that we successfully deliver the highest quality vessels on a reliable, aggressive production schedule. We look forward to continuing our historic partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
