Bollinger delivers USCGS Olivia Hooker (FRC 1161)

USCGC Olivia Hooker at Coast Guard Sector Key West. [Photo: Bollinger Shipyards]

Bollinger Shipyards reports that it recently delivered the USCGC Olivia Hooker at Coast Guard Sector Key West. It is the 61st Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the U.S. Coast Guard’s current program and the 187th vessel built by Bollinger for the U.S. Coast Guard over a 40-year partnership. The Olivia Hooker will be homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“We are honored to deliver the Olivia Hooker to the U.S. Coast Guard, continuing our proud tradition of providing high-quality, mission-ready vessels,” said Bollinger president & CEO Ben Bordelon. “The FRC platform has proven itself time and again as a cornerstone of the Coast Guard’s fleet, excelling in a wide range of operational conditions. We’re confident this vessel will serve its crew well in their mission of defending our nation’s national security interests over a vast and challenging area of responsibility.”

The USCGC Olivia Hooker is the second of three FRCs to be home-ported in St. Petersburg. Sector St. Petersburg has become one of the Coast Guard’s largest commands, with an area of responsibility encompassing over 400 nautical miles of coastline along Florida’s west coast and the third largest U.S. port for domestic trade. The Sector has responsibility for five primary operational missions: Search and Rescue; Marine Safety; Maritime Law Enforcement; Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security; and Living Marine Resources.

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. This vessel is named after Dr. Olivia Juliette Hooker (1915–2018), who made history as the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, enlisting in 1945 as a member of the SPARs during World War II. Dr. Hooker answered the call to serve, completing boot camp and yeoman training before processing discharges for returning Coast Guardsmen. After the war, Dr. Hooker earned advanced degrees in psychology, becoming a respected professor at Fordham University and a lifelong advocate for education, mental health, and civil rights. Her trailblazing service exemplified the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty, and her legacy endures as the namesake of USCGC Olivia Hooker.

Last month, Bollinger announced that the U.S. Coast Guard awarded the company 10 additional FRCs. The award was supported by the historic $25 billion funding included in the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which provided $1 billion for additional FRCs and strengthened the Coast Guard in support of its Force Design 2028 initiative.

“With this award, the Coast Guard is doubling down on a proven platform and a proven team,” said Bordelon at the time of the award. “Our workforce has delivered nearly 200 cutters, including 60 FRCs, in our more than 40-year partnership with the Coast Guard. That performance is no accident. It reflects the dedication, precision and pride of the men and women of Bollinger, and our shared commitment to the Coast Guard’s mission.”

“This decision reflects our unwavering confidence in your capabilities, expertise, and longstanding commitment to excellence within the maritime industry,” said the U.S. Coast Guard in its award notification to Bollinger. “We continue to be particularly impressed by your track record in shipbuilding, your innovative approaches to maintaining a sustainable design, and your commitment to adhering to the highest standards of safety and compliance…This contract option award is a testament to the trust we place in your abilities and to the shared vision we hold for the future of our fleet. We look forward to a productive and successful partnership and to the delivery of ten world-class ships that will advance our mission and further strengthen our operational capabilities.”

To date, Bollinger has delivered 61 FRCs and had been under contract to build 67 vessels, with the final FRC previously scheduled for delivery in 2028. With the most recent award, the total program has increased to 77 vessels, extending the production line by approximately three years and ensuring uninterrupted deliveries to meet operational demand.

Earlier this year, to protect the taxpayer and preserve hard-won efficiencies, Bollinger went “at-risk” to sustain production momentum. The company procured long-lead materials and maintained full payroll to avoid costly restarts and schedule gaps. That proactive decision reduced risk, preserved skilled jobs, and enabled the government to stretch its investment further.

The FRC program continues to be a powerful economic engine. Since its inception, it has generated over $2 billion in material spending, directly supports more than 650 jobs in Southeast Louisiana, and has indirectly created 1,690 jobs from operations and capital investment, with an annual GDP impact of $202 million, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration’s data on the economic importance of the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry. Each FRC comprises over 271,000 distinct items and approximately 282 million components and parts, sourced from 965 suppliers across 37 states, demonstrating the program’s broad national industrial footprint.