Coast Guard Awards $507 Million Contract for 10 Additional Fast Response Cutters at Bollinger

The U.S. Coast Guard has exercised a contract option with Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Louisiana, for the construction of 10 additional Fast Response Cutters (FRCs), valued at $507 million. The contract, announced Tuesday, represents a significant expansion of the Coast Guard’s modernization efforts.

The action increases the total number of FRCs under the current agreement from 67 to 77 vessels. Funding comes through the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), which provides nearly $25 billion for the Coast Guard – the largest single funding commitment in the service’s history. The legislation includes $1 billion specifically earmarked for additional FRCs.

“This is a historic accomplishment for the Service. Since its introduction to the fleet in 2012 as the successor to the 110-foot Island class patrol boat, the Fast Response Cutter has consistently proven its capabilities, adaptability and effectiveness in a wide range of maritime environments and Coast Guard missions,” said Rear Admiral Mike Campbell, the Coast Guard’s Director of Systems Integration and Chief Acquisition Officer.

The Sentinel-class FRCs play a critical role in the Coast Guard’s mission to secure U.S. maritime borders. Currently, 59 cutters are in service, gradually replacing the aging fleet of 1980s-era Island-class patrol boats. The vessels feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, along with over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment capabilities.

According to Bollinger Shipyards CEO Ben Bordelon, “With this award, the Coast Guard is doubling down on a proven platform and a proven team. Our workforce has delivered nearly 200 cutters, including 60 FRCs, in our more than 40-year partnership with the Coast Guard.”

The FRC program has generated significant economic impact, with material spending exceeding $2 billion since its inception. The program directly supports more than 650 jobs in Southeast Louisiana and has indirectly created 1,690 jobs from operations and capital investment, with an annual GDP impact of $202 million.

The first FRC funded through this new contract option is expected to be delivered in fiscal year 2028. The contract extension will ensure uninterrupted deliveries to meet operational demands while supporting the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 initiative, aimed at transforming the service into a more agile and capable fighting force.

In addition to the FRC program, Bollinger Shipyards is also leading the construction of the Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program, which recently secured full funding for the advanced procurement and construction of vessels two and three.

Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the PSC program now has $4.3 billion in funding and is fully resourced to deliver the first new heavy American-built icebreakers in nearly 50 years. After acquiring the troubled program in 2022, Bollinger has invested heavily in its Mississippi facilities and workforce, stabilizing the project and putting it back on track for delivery, with the first PSC anticipated by May 2030.

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