First Look At New Boston Coast Guard Cutters

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Coast Guard's fleet in Boston is receiving a new addition with the latest generation of the Coast Guard cutter. Six "fast response" cutters will soon call Boston home.

"It's a new asset. It's a new capability that we don't have in our current patrol boat fleet," said Rear Admiral Andrew Tiongson.

The advanced features on these ships will help the Coast Guard carry out its missions faster, more safely and more efficiently, the Coast Guard said.

"They have better sea caping capability, which means they can operate in higher seas," the admiral said. "And they are outfitted with the latest and greatest electronic tools."

The sentinel class cutters will replace 1980s-era patrol boats.

"This particular type of platform will be critical to our fisheries enforcement and other law enforcement missions we conduct," Tiongson said.

They will also be vital for search and rescue operations and drug interdiction efforts.

The ship currently visiting Boston will patrol New England waters for the next several weeks while local crews learn about its capabilities.

"We as people who control these and task them have to get used to operating this type of capable vessel," Tiongson said. "So we're learning a lot as we have these things that temporarily come into the district."

The Boston Coast Guard will begin receiving the new cutters in 2022.