Jump to content

USCGC Earl Cunningham

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from WPC-1159)
USCGC Earl Cunningham arriving at Coast Guard Base Kodiak
History
United States
NameEarl Cunningham
NamesakeEarl Cunningham
OperatorUnited States Coast Guard
BuilderBollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana
Acquired2025-03-06
HomeportKodiak, Alaska
Identification
MottoIf Not Us Then Who
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSentinel-class cutter
Displacement353 long tons (359 t)
Length153.5 ft (46.8 m)
Beam25.43 ft (7.75 m)
Draft8.46 ft (2.58 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 4,300 kW (5,800 shp)
  • 1 × 75 kW (101 shp) bow thruster
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
Endurance5 days
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 × Over the Horizon cutter boat
Complement4 officers, 20 crew
Armament
  • 1 × Mk 38 25 mm autocannon
  • 4 × crew-served Browning M2 machine guns
NotesFirst Commanding Officer LT Frederick Scott[1]

USCGC Earl Cunningham (WPC-1159) is the United States Coast Guard's 59th Sentinel-class cutter. She supports multiple Coast Guard missions including port, waterway and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal immigrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national defense operations. She was launched in 2025. The ship is based in Kodiak, Alaska.

Namesake

[edit]
Earl Cunningham, the ship's namesake

Each cutter in the Sentinel class is named after an enlisted hero. The ship's namesake is Earl Cunningham, an off-duty Coast Guardsman who gave his life trying to rescue stranded mariners in Lake Michigan.[2]

Construction and characteristics

[edit]
Mk 38 25mm autocannon on Earl Cunningham

The Coast Guard's Island-class cutters were launched between 1986 and 1992. On 26 September 2008 the Coast Guard awarded a contract to Bollinger Shipyards for the lead ship in the Sentinel class which would replace the aging Island class.[3] This contract included options to build an additional 33 ships.[4] The Coast Guard exercised all the options and, in May 2016, awarded Bollinger a new contract with options for 26 more of the cutters, including Earl Cunningham. The average cost of the ships under contract at that point was approximately $65 million.[5]

Earl Cunningham was built by Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. On 6 March 2025, she was delivered to the Coast Guard at Key West, Florida.[6]

Earl Cunningham is 153.5 feet (46.8 m) long, with a beam of 25.43 feet (7.75 m), and a full-load draft of 8.46 feet (2.58 m). She displaces 353 tons when fully loaded.[7] Her hull is built of welded steel plates, while her superstructure is made of aluminum.[8]

The ship is propelled by two Tier II 20-cylinder mtu 20 V 4000 M93L Diesel engines which produce 5,676 horsepower each.[9] These drive two six-bladed fixed-pitch propellers. This propulsion package gives her a continuous cruising speed of 28 knots. Her fuel tanks hold over 17,000 US gallons (64,000 L) giving Earl Cunningham an unrefueled range of 2,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.[10][4] The ship is equipped with a Schottel STT 60K bow thruster.[8]

Electrical power aboard is provided by two main ship-service generators and an emergency generator. The two ship service generators are Cummins QSM-11-DM Diesel engines driving Stanford 317 Kw generators. The emergency unit, which is housed in a separate room, is a Cummins 6BTA5.9-DM Diesel engine driving a Stanford 93 Kw generator.[8]

The ship is equipped with Quantum QC1500 fin stabilizers[11] to reduce rolling.[8] Potable water can be produced from seawater with an onboard desalination plant. Satellite television is available in the crew mess area.[12]

She is armed with a remotely-controlled, gyro-stabilized Mark 38 25 mm autocannon, four crew served M2 Browning machine guns, and light arms.[13]

Earl Cunningham, like all the Sentinel-class cutters, is equipped with a stern launching ramp, that allows her to launch and retrieve a 26 feet (7.9 m)-long Over-the-Horizon cutter boat without first coming to a stop. Her cutter boat is useful for inspecting other vessels, and deploying boarding parties. As its top speed is 40 knots, it can pursue vessels which attempt to flee. It is equipped with an inboard Diesel engine which propels the boat by a jet drive.[14]

Earl Cunningham has a crew of 24 men and women.[4] The Sentinel class was designed to accommodate mixed-gender crews, with small staterooms rather than large bunk rooms and individual heads. The captain and executive officer have private staterooms.[15]

Achievements

[edit]

On its initial voyage to Kodiak, Alaska, the Earl Cunningham officially relieved the final Island Class Patrol Boats.

Here’s the transcript from the at-sea relief ceremony:

CUNNINGHAM: Coast Guard Cutters Naushon, Liberty and Mustang — from the Coast Guard Cutter Earl Cunningham: Thank you to your crews for all those present, past for nearly 4 decades of service to our nation. It is an honor to take over the watch.

FINAL 110s: …Coast Guard Cutter Earl Cunningham… Cutters Naushon, Liberty and Mustang stand ready to be relieved.

CUNNINGHAM: Coast Guard Cutters Naushon, Liberty, and Mustang — from the Earl Cunningham, we offer our relief.

FINAL 110s: Coast Guard Cutter Earl Cunningham from the Naushon, Liberty and Mustang on behalf of all former Island Class Patrol Boats — we stand relieved. Fair winds and following seas in keeping the coast clear in the last frontier.[16]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hovey, Davis (2025-06-03). "New era of USCG cutters sail by old patrol boats at sea on way up to homeport in Kodiak". KMXT. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  2. ^ Banke, Daniel C. (2021-01-08). "The Long Blue Line: So that others might live—Earl Cunningham's final rescue". MyCG. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  3. ^ "Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. -- The Company Today 2008". Oakdale Journal. 13 November 2008. p. 7.
  4. ^ a b c U.S. Coast Guard’s Acquisition of the Sentinel Class – Fast Response Cutter (PDF). Department of Homeland Security. 31 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Bollinger wins contract for 26 more Coast Guard cutters". Daily Review. 6 May 2016. p. 11.
  6. ^ "Coast Guard accepts 59th fast response cutter". USCG. 2025-03-18. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  7. ^ The Cutters, Boats, and Aircraft of the U.S. Coast Guard (PDF). p. 142.
  8. ^ a b c d USCGC RICHARD DIXON (WPC-1113); SPECIFICATION FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS (PDF). 2019.
  9. ^ "Tognum to provide propulsion system for U.S. patrol boat". www.mtu-solutions.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  10. ^ "USCG Report: Small Cutters Prove They Can Patrol a Big Ocean". MarineLink. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  11. ^ Ross, Katie (2020-04-16). "Quantum Marine Stabilizers Celebrates Launch of 43rd Fast-Response Cutter (FRC)". Quantum Marine Stabilizers. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  12. ^ Urgo, Jaqueline . (19 November 2016). "The spirit of heroism". Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. B02.
  13. ^ "154-foot Sentinel class". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  14. ^ Staff, Naval News (2021-04-13). "SAFE Boats lands USCG order for another 20 OTH-IV boats". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  15. ^ Rosenberg, Carol (10 February 2012). "Bigger, faster cutter ready for Florida's mean straits". Miami Herald. pp. A17.
  16. ^ "This is what a cutter relief at sea looks like". U.S. Coast Guard Alaska. 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USCGC_Earl_Cunningham&oldid=1294026618"