The US Coast Guard has contracted Metal Shark Aluminum Boats for the delivery of further 20 response boats-small II (RB-S IIs).
The latest contract is worth approximately $8 million and is part of a larger arrangement under which the coast guard will acquire up to 470 boats to replace the older Defender-class RB-S as they reach the end of their service life.
The new RB-S IIs will be delivered to Sector Buffalo, New York, this spring and summer.
This latest contract brings the total of RB-S IIs ordered to 322 while 280 RB-S IIs have been delivered.
The 29-foot RB-S IIs can reach a top speed of over 40 knots and are used for a range of missions, including search and rescue, vessel boarding team deployment and law enforcement missions, port security, drug and migrant interdiction, and environmental response operations.
RB-S are powered by twin 225-horsepower (hp) Honda outboards and have a minimum range of 150 nautical miles.
The boat is road transportable for service between missions, and may also be transported via C130 aboard a specialized trailer. RB-S is also weapons-ready, with multiple weapons racks and an integrated weapons-ready mounting system at the bow. The forward-mounted gunner’s platform provides 180-degree firing capability while a pass-through hatch leads to the cabin for easy access.