Yacht builders eye Navsea FMS patrol craft solicitation

The Naval Sea Systems Command is conducting market research to determine the availability of new construction of thirty Fast Patrol Vessels. They would be procured under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case for operation in the harbors and coastal waters of Saudi Arabia. Existing vessels or conversion vessels will not be considered.

According to a solicitation posted December 22, 2010, the vessels would be 35 m to 45 m long monohulls with a speed of 35+ knots at full load displacement  and an endurance of 6 days.

Almost as interesting as the solicitation is the list of interested vendors. As of today, the companies on the list recognizable as shipbuilders are all offshoots of companies that are primarily yacht builders: Trinity Offshore (an offshoot of Trinity Yachts) in Gulfport, Miss.; Westport Shipyard, Westport, Wash.; and Shipbuilders of Wisconsin, Inc.(an offshoot of Burger Boats), in Manitowoc, Wis.

January 10, 2010