Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter arrives in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Thursday, The Coast Guard Cutter Webber was delivered to Coast Guard Sector Miami at Base Support Unit Miami in Miami Beach.

Officials said the Webber is 154 feet long, and is called a fast response cutter, running up to 28 knots. The Coast Guard said the Webber will be able to deploy independently to conduct missions, such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations along the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the Caribbean.

Officials said this is the first of 18 cutters ordered to replace some vessels that are 48 years old.

Another feature of the cutter are computerized guns. Officials said it will be more effective if there is a confrontation at sea. US Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Herv Eggert said, "We have a little bit of an improved armament onboard, that is the remote operated gyro-stabilized weapon system that helps increase our effectiveness, but also when we have presence in homeland security type missions or if we were to deploy for a department of defense type mission as well."

According to officials, six cutters will be based in Miami and the others will be stationed in Key West and Puerto Rico.

The Webber is named after a Coast Guardsman who helped save 33 people from a sinking tanker off Massachusetts in the 1950s.

The Webber will become fully responsive in April. "We are happy to have this new asset here, and we are looking forward to getting out on the water and start our patrol," Eggert said.

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