LA Fleet Week is happy to welcome the fast response cutter (FRC), Terrell Horne. Based in San Pedro, California, this cutter is the third of four planned FRCs to be stationed in the Port of Los Angeles.
Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, the cutter’s namesake, served as executive petty officer of Coast Guard Cutter Halibut. He was mortally injured while conducting maritime law enforcement operations near Santa Cruz Island, California, on Dec. 2, 2012. Horne and another Halibut crewmember were operating a cutter boat to investigate a vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics. As the suspect vessel maneuvered toward the cutter boat at a high speed, Horne placed himself in harm’s way and tried to push his fellow crewmember away from the collision. Despite Horne’s effort, both crewmembers went overboard. They were immediately recovered, but Horne sustained a fatal injury.
FRCs are replacing the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats and are designed for multiple missions, including drug and migrant interdictions; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The cutters feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment; over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment to reach vessels of interest; and improved habitability and seakeeping. They can reach a maximum speed of more than 28 knots and have an endurance of at least five days.
NOTE: The Terrell Horne will be located in the Downtown Harbor just south of the main LA Fleet Week EXPO footprint, between the fire station and the LA Maritime Museum.