Birdon America gets $14.75 million contract to kick off WWC construction

The Waterway Commerce Cutter (WCC) project consists of two separate but related vessel designs: the River Buoy Tender (WLR) and the Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) [Image: Birdon America]

Birdon America Inc. has been awarded a U.S. Coast Guard long lead time materials contract worth approximately $14.75 million to enable construction to begin on the first two vessels to be built under Birdon’s $1.187 billion contract to design and build 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCC).

The WCC contract consists of two separate but related vessel designs: the River Buoy Tender (WLR) and the Inland Construction Tender (WLIC). River buoy tenders service short-range aids to navigation (ATON) on the western rivers. They set, relocate and recover buoys to mark the navigable channel in the rivers as the water level changes and also establish and maintain fixed aids, lights and daybeacons.

The first two Birdon-built WCCs will be the lead vessels of each variant/.

Both variants are complex, modern, and designed to military standards. The new cutter design is expected to provide up to 11 days of accommodation and habitability for up to 19 crew members.

Those initial vessels are the first Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) and the first River Buoy Tender (WLR)Tender (WLIC) and the first River Buoy Tender (WLR).

Birdon also announced that it has awarded several additional subcontracts in support of WCC production. The subcontracts are firm-fixed price (FFP), indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) for design, development, manufacturing, and delivery. Subcontract awardees included:

• LED Lighting Systems – Temecula, Calif.
• EVAC – Cherry Hill, Ill.
• Donovan Marine – Harahan, La.
• MINO Marine – New Orleans, La
• Noise Control Engineering – Bellerica, Mass.
• ALE – Columbus, Ohio,
• Patterson – Pittsburgh, Pa.

“Birdon’s approach to the WCC contract is driven by our commitment to meeting the needs of the Coast Guard, delivering consistent quality and value, and minimizing risk,” said Rob Scott, president of Birdon America. “Birdon’s commitment means we own every challenge, take responsibility for implementing a solution, and we never make it someone else’s problem to fix – and that commitment is why we are going to be able to start construction on the first WCC vessels early next year. We look forward to this exciting next phase.”