PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Newport will serve as the homeport for two of the Coast Guard’s newest patrol cutters.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed announced the decision Wednesday. The 360-foot vessels will be part of the Heritage class, a new design.
The decision to base two Heritage-class cutters in at Naval Station Newport will mean more jobs for Rhode Island, Reed said. Each cutter is expected to have a crew of 100 or more.
Cutters perform various missions for the Coast Guard, including law enforcement, search and rescue and port and waterway security.
Coast Guard plans call for the construction of 25 Heritage class vessels. The first is now under construction in Florida, and the Coast Guard expects to take delivery in 2022.
Four cutters are currently based at Newport. Rhode Island is home to 300 active-duty Coast Guard personnel, 50 reservists and 45 civilian Coast Guard employees.
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