Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward arrives in San Francisco Bay ahead of commissioning

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that it's Cutter Robert Ward, the second California-based 154-foot Fast Response Cutter, arrived in the San Francisco Bay, Friday.

The Robert Ward is the second of four FRCs to be homeported at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach. While these ships will be based in Southern California, they will operate throughout the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes all of California and international waters off of Mexico and Central America.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Robert Ward and her crew to the Bay Area,” said Capt. Tony Ceraolo, the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander and San Francisco Captain of the Port. “This new cutter brings a wealth of capabilities to the California coast, including search and rescue, law enforcement and drug interdiction. We’re looking forward to commissioning the cutter right here in San Francisco next week.”

FRC’s are 154-foot multi-mission ships designed to conduct: drug and migrant interdictions; ports, waterways and coastal security operations; fisheries and environmental protection patrols; national defense missions; and search and rescue. Each cutter is designed for a crew of 24, has a range of 2,500 miles and is equipped for patrols up to five days. The FRCs are part of the Coast Guard’s overall fleet modernization initiative.

FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment as well as over-the-horizon response boat deployment capability and improved habitability for the crew. The ships can reach speeds of 28 knots and are equipped to coordinate operations with partner agencies and long-range Coast Guard assets such as the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters.

FRCs are named in honor of Coast Guard enlisted leaders, trailblazers and heroes.