Engineers at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La., needed a command, control, communications, computers, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) system for their work on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutter (FRC) program. They found their solution at L-3 Communications’ Communication Systems-East (CS-East) division in Camden, N.J.

L-3 Communications won a two-year contract from Bollinger Shipyards to design and deliver the first production shipset C4ISR architecture and related training systems. The contract includes options for an additional 33 shipsets, which would result in an overall contract value of more than $100 million.

“We’ve utilized best-in-class products, including the integrated bridge and navigation control system from L-3 Marine Systems, alarms and announcing systems from L-3 Henschel, and our MarCom integrated and automated internal/external voice communications system,” describes Greg Roberts, president of L-3 Communication Systems-East. “Our C4ISR systems will make the Sentinel the most capable patrol boat in the Coast Guard fleet.”

The FRC, also known as The Sentinel Class, is a 154-foot cutter. The C4ISR systems on the Sentinel Class patrol boat will be interoperable with the Coast Guard’s existing and future platforms and also with those of the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. The first FRC Sentinel Class patrol boat is scheduled to be delivered in early 2011.

For more information, visit L-3 Communications’ Communication Systems-East online at www.l-3com.com/cs-east.