Wednesday, December 03, 2008

FRC

IOC: 2020

FRC-A

Also Known As
Fast Response Cutter

Origin
United States of America

Program Status:
Under Development

Contractor/s
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems

Description: The Fast Response Cutter (FRC) is an all composite littoral warfare patrol vessel being developed by Northrop-Grumman for the replacement of US Coast Guard aging fleet of Island-class boats. The FRC is being developed within the $11 billion Deepwater program framework awarded to Lockheed-Martin and Northrop-Grumman in June 2002. It is expected that the FRC incorporates composite shipbuilding technologies from Swedish Kockums company such as those employed on the Visby-class corvette. The US Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater Systems program calls for the procurement of 58 FRC cutters.

The US Coast Guard should had approved the final FRC design in August 2005 but due to technical issues and unavailability of suitable composite hull technologies the decision was delayed with the restructuring of the FRC program. The US Coast Guard decided to go through the FRC program using a dual approach: the original composite hull vessel was re-named FRC-A; and a new low-risk steel hull vessel named Replacement Patrol Boat or FRC-B. Both ships are expected to respond to post 11 September requirements expressed by the United States Armed Forces and Homeland Defense agencies.

The 120 to 160-foot FRC-A cutter will be interoperable with other Deepwater assets and will operate at 28+ knots, providing exceptional response and reaction capability. The mission endurance is estimated between five and seven days. Typical missions will include near-shore fisheries patrol, migrant and drug interdiction, barrier patrols and augmenting patrols in areas of concern. These ships will be built at Northrop-Grumman's Gulfport, Mississippi. Extensive use of composite materials will allow the FRC hull to average a 40-year service life. The FRC vessel will be equipped with a stabilized 25mm gun and .50 caliber machine guns. The first FRC-A boat may be commissioned by 2020.

Specifications
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 25 mm

Dimensions: Length 160 ft

Performance: Endurance 7 day, Max Range 4,230 nautical mile (), Service Life 40 yr, Top Speed 28 kt (52 kph)

News
Northrop-Grumman Begins Work On Maritime Security Cutter

NG and Kockums to Cooperate on Composite Vessels

Operators

United States of America / Planned

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

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