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Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport has delivered another Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard – the 24th FRC the local company has created for the military.
The Coast Guard took delivery of the ‘Oliver Berry’ on June 27 in Key West. The vessel is set to deploy to Honolulu in October.
Bollinger President and CEO Ben Bordelon said anytime a new cutter is built and handed over to the Coast Guard, it marks a bright day.
The cutters have been made by Bollinger for several years and since deployment, they’ve completed several successful missions, while saving American lives.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the delivery of the latest FRC, the USCGC Oliver Berry,” Bordelon said. “This FRC built by Bollinger Shipyards will be the first to be stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard District 14 in Honolulu, but previous cutters have been stations in Florida, San Juan, Cape May and Ketchikan, Alaska. The FRCs already in commission have seized multiple tons of narcotics, interdicted thousands of illegal aliens and have saved many lives.
The 154-foot patrol craft has been called a “game-changer” by senior Coast Guard officials.
To build it, Bollinger used a proven, in-service parent craft design based on the ‘Damen Stan’ patrol boat 4708.
The FRC has a flank speed of 28 knots and state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, as well as a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-foot cutter boat.
Every FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished his or herself in the line of duty.
Oliver Berry was a distinguished expert mechanic on CG aircraft and was a lead instructor at the first U.S. military helicopter training unit established in 1946.
Berry received a letter of commendation from the commandant, Adm. Joseph F. Farley, for his contribution to a 1946 rescue of airliner crash victims in Newfoundland, which required the rapid dismantling, air transport and reassembly of Coast Guard helicopters.
