The US Coast Guard has awarded four contracts to acquire demonstration boats that will be used to develop and validate performance requirements, assess industry capabilities and gather information about the marketplace.
As informed, the contracts were awarded to Birdon America Inc. of Denver, Colorado; Gravois Aluminum Boats, operating as Metal Shark, of Jeanerette, Louisiana; Inventech Marine Solutions of Bremerton, Washington; and SAFE Boats International, also of Bremerton, Washington.
The total combined value of the four contracts is approximately $3.6 million.
Each contractor will deliver, within three months, one demonstrator boat with design and performance characteristics closely aligned with Coast Guard mission needs and requirements. The boats range in length from approximately 8.8 to 11.3 meters, and each is powered by twin outboard engines producing up to 600 horsepower.
US Coast Guard boats support a range of Coast Guard missions, including drug interdiction, living marine resources, migrant interdiction, defense readiness, search and rescue, other law enforcement, aids to navigation, and ports, waterways, and coastal security.
The service will use the information captured from the operation of the boats to inform the development of future boat acquisitions.