# Island-class patrol boat

The Island-class patrol boat is a class of cutters of the United States Coast Guard. Of the 49 cutters of the class that were built, 3 remain in commission. Their hull numbers are WPB-1301 through WPB-1349.

## Overview

The 110 feet (34 metres) Island-class patrol boats are a U.S. Coast Guard modification of a highly successful British-designed Vosper Thornycroft patrol boat built for Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. With excellent range and seakeeping capabilities, the Island class, all named after U.S. islands, replaced the older 95 feet (29 metres) Cape-class cutters. These cutters are equipped with advanced electronics and navigation equipment, and are used in support of the Coast Guard's maritime homeland security, migrant interdiction, drug interdiction, defense operations, fisheries enforcement, and search and rescue missions. The cutters have 10 tons worth of space and weight reservations for additional weapons.
The Sentinel-class cutters, selected under the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) program, are slated to replace the Island class. Six Island class cutters (USCGC Adak, Aquidneck, Baranof, Maui, Monomoy, and Wrangell) were stationed in Manama, Bahrain, as a part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia to provide the Navy's Fifth Fleet with combat ready assets but all have been replaced by Fast Response Cutters.

## Conversion problems

As built, these vessels were all 110 feet (34 m) in length. In 2002 as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program, the Coast Guard began refitting some of these vessels, adding 13 feet (4.0 m) to the stern to make room for a high-speed stern launching ramp, and replacing the superstructure so that these vessels had enough room to accommodate mixed-gender crews. The refit added about 15 tons to the vessel's displacement, and reduced its maximum speed by approximately one knot. The eight cutters modified were;
* USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303)
* USCGC Attu (WPB-1317)
* USCGC Metompkin (WPB-1325)
* USCGC Padre (WPB-1328)
* USCGC Manitou (WPB-1302)
* USCGC Monhegan (WPB-1305)
* USCGC Nunivak (WPB-1306)
* USCGC Vashon (WPB-1308)
In 2005, then-Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas H. Collins made the decision to stop the contractor's conversion at eight hulls when sea trials revealed intractable structural flaws.
In August 2006, a Lockheed Martin engineer went public with allegations that the company and the Coast Guard were ignoring serious security flaws in the refitting project, and that they were likely to repeat the same mistakes on similar projects. The flaws included blind spots in watch cameras, FLIR equipment not suitable for operating under extreme temperatures, and the use of non-shielded cables in secure communications systems, a violation of TEMPEST standards.
In late November 2006 all eight of the 123 ft (37 m) WPBs were taken out of service due to debilitating problems with their lengthened hulls – all eight hulls were cracking when driven at high speed in heavy seas. These as well as other issues – such as C4ISR problems – drove the program $60 million over budget, triple the original bid for the eight boats converted. The 41 unmodified 110s were pressed harder to take up the slack. The eight modified were moved to the United States Coast Guard Yard and moored in Arundel Cove.

## Transfers to foreign operators

The U.S. Coast Guard has transferred several ships to foreign navies and coast guards via the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's Office of International Acquisition's Excess Defense Articles Program (EDA).
In May 2023, the United States government pledged to provide the Philippines at least two Island-class patrol vessels which was agreed by both sides, as it was offered alongside two Marine Protector-class patrol boats and three Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft during President Bongbong Marcos' visit to Washington D.C. The recipient of the transferred vessels will be the Philippine Navy.

## Operators

* United States Coast Guard
* Georgian Coast Guard – two ships via EDA in September 2016
* Pakistan Maritime Security Agency – two ships via EDA in 2016
* Costa Rican Coast Guard – two ships via EDA in 2017
* Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – purchased former USCGC Block Island and Pea Island, June 2015, and Bainbridge Island, November 2017.
* Ukrainian Navy – five acquired from the USCG As of 8 March 2025, Ukraine lost one Island-class patrol boat and one damaged by Lancet drone.
* Hellenic Navy – four ships via EDA in 2023

## Dispositions

Disposition of Island class Cutters :
| name | commissioned | decommissioned | notes |
| Farallon (WPB-1301) | 21 February 1986 | | In active service as of 2015 |
| Manitou (WPB-1302) | 24 January 1986 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Matagorda (WPB-1303) | 24 April 1986 | 23 January 2003 | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Maui (WPB-1304) | 9 May 1986 | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain | |
| Monhegan (WPB-1305) | 16 June 1986 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Nunivak (WPB-1306) | 2 May 1986 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Ocracoke (WPB-1307) | 4 August 1986 | November 22, 2019 | transferred to Ukraine, renamed P192 Sumy |
| Vashon (WPB-1308) | 15 August 1986 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Aquidneck (WPB-1309) | 26 September 1986 | 15 June 2021 in Manama, Bahrain | Transferred to Greece |
| Mustang (WPB-1310) | 29 August 1986 | | In active service |
| Naushon (WPB-1311) | 3 October 1986 | | In active service |
| Sanibel (WPB-1312) | 14 November 1986 | 2023 | |
| Edisto (WPB-1313) | 7 January 1987 | 13 April 2018 | |
| Sapelo (WPB-1314) | 24 February 1987 | | Decommissioned/scrapped |
| Mantinicus (WPB-1315) | 16 April 1987 | | In active service |
| Nantucket (WPB-1316) | 4 June 1987 | 8 March 2017 | |
| Attu (WPB-1317) | 9 May 1988 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Baranof (WPB-1318) | 20 May 1988 | 26 September 2022 in Manama, Bahrain | |
| Chandeleur (WPB-1319) | 8 June 1988 | | In active service as of 2020 |
| Chincoteague (WPB-1320) | 8 August 1988 | | In active service |
| Cushing (WPB-1321) | 8 August 1988 | 8 March 2017 | transferred to Ukraine, renamed P190 Sloviansk, sunk due to Russian action 3 March 2022 |
| Cuttyhunk (WPB-1322) | 15 October 1988 | 5 May 2022 in Port Angeles, Washington | |
| Drummond (WPB-1323) | 19 October 1988 | | transferred to Ukraine, renamed P191 Starobilsk |
| Key Largo (WPB-1324) | 24 December 1988 | 27 February 2023 | |
| Metompkin (WPB-1325) | 12 January 1989 | 9 June 2003 | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Monomoy (WPB-1326) | 16 December 1988 | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain | Transferred to Greece |
| Orcas (WPB-1327) | 14 April 1989 | 23 April 2024 in Coos Bay, Oregon | |
| Padre (WPB-1328) | 24 February 1989 | | Directed to be removed from operational service November 2006 |
| Sitkanak (WPB-1329) | 31 March 1989 | | In active service as of 2018 |
| Tybee (WPB-1330) | 9 May 1989 | 28 March 2023 | |
| Washington (WPB-1331) | 9 June 1989 | 18 December 2019 | transferred to Ukraine, renamed P193 Fastiv |
| Wrangell (WPB-1332) | 24 June 1989 | 22 March 2022 in Manama, Bahrain | Transferred to Greece |
| Adak (WPB-1333) | 17 November 1989 | 15 June 2021 in Manama, Bahrain | Transferred to Greece |
| Liberty (WPB-1334) | 4 August 1989 | | In active service |
| Anacapa (WPB-1335) | 13 January 1990 | 26 April 2024 in Port Angeles, Washington | |
| Kiska (WPB-1336) | ca. 1 December 1989 (delivery date) | | In active service |
| Assateague (WPB-1337) | ca. 1 January 1990 (delivery date) | 13 October 2017 | |
| Grand Isle (WPB-1338) | ca. 14 December 1990 (delivery date) | 2015 | transferred to Pakistan as PMSS Sabqat |
| Key Biscayne (WPB-1339) | 27 April 1991 | | transferred to Pakistan |
| Jefferson Island (WPB-1340) | 16 August 1991 | 19 September 2014 in Portland, Maine | transferred to Georgian Coast Guard, September 2016 |
| Kodiak Island (WPB-1341) | 21 June 1991 | | In active service as of 2014 |
| Long Island (WPB-1342) | 27 August 1991 | | transferred to Costa Rica, renamed Juan Rafael Mora Porras |
| Bainbridge Island (WPB-1343) | ca. 14 June 1991 (delivery date) | 17 March 2014 | purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MV Sharpie; Scrapped in Mexico |
| Block Island (WPB-1344) | ca. 19 July 1991 (delivery date) | 14 March 2014 | purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Jules Verne & later MV John Paul DeJoria; Scrapped in Mexico |
| Staten Island (WPB-1345) | 22 November 1991 | 2014 | transferred to Georgia, 2014 |
| Roanoke Island (WPB-1346) | 8 February 1992 | 4 June 2015 | transferred to Costa Rica, renamed Gen. Jose M. Canas Escamilla |
| Pea Island (WPB-1347) | ca. 1 November 1992 (delivery date) | | purchased by Sea Shepherd, renamed MY Farley Mowat |
| Knight Island (WPB-1348) | ca. 6 December 1991 (delivery date) | | In active service |
| Galveston Island (WPB-1349) | ca. 17 January 1992 (delivery date) | 16 March 2018 | |

## Gallery

* USCG Sanibel moored in Boston Harbor
* Four WPBs transported to the Mediterranean aboard MV BBC Spain
* USCGC Anacapa sinks derelict Ryou-Un Maru fishing vessel with fire hose, 5 April 2012.