Guest post by RADM Gary Blore, Assistant Commandant for Acquisition:
I had the recent opportunity to visit Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. The reason for my visit was to celebrate the pending delivery of the 75th Coastal Patrol Boat (CPB), SEA FOX, and the completion of the successful 87-foot Marine Protector-class CPB project.
It was an honor to share the stage with U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), Bollinger's CEO and Chairman of the Board Donald "Boysie" Bollinger, Bollinger's Executive Vice President Christopher B. Bollinger, and a representative of their workforce, Mr. L.J. Adams - who has been a shipyard employee for over 40 years.
As I said in my remarks, the CPB has been a proven and essential platform for completing Coast Guard missions through the past decade, and it will continue to be so in the future. Each day, it enables our Coast Guard men and women to successfully interdict illegal drugs and migrants, board and inspect commercial vessels, carry out critical search and rescue operations, and enforce marine and fisheries laws and regulations. Because of their success, several CPBs (like the SEA FOX) have been funded by the U.S. Navy to support important high value naval vessel escort missions.
The success of the CPB is no fluke. It comes as a result of the Coast Guard's commitment to a highly disciplined acquisition culture based on transparent, repeatable processes that deliver the right products to meet operational requirements. This patrol boat acquisition project benefited from a well-written contract with exacting requirements, an efficient shipbuilding company, and one of the finest shipyard workforces in America today.
"We met a good friend, and a good neighbor - the United States Coast Guard," L.J. Adams recalled being told decades ago by company leadership, when the shipyard was awarded the contract to build their first Coast Guard patrol boat.
The spirit of this sentiment has lived on - indeed, the community of Lockport, and all of Louisiana, can be very proud of the Marine Protector Class Project which was completed at cost, on schedule, and delivered a patrol boat that met all operational requirements.
The Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate followed the same disciplined process to determine the award of the upcoming Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter. In a major step forward for fleet modernization last September, the Coast Guard selected Bollinger's proposal as the most viable solution and best value to the government, and awarded them a contract for the detailed design and construction of the first Sentinel-class Patrol Boat, the successor to the 110-foot Island-class patrol boats.
Patrol boats are the backbone of the Coast Guard and are critically needed. I am proud of the Coast Guard's Project Resident Office’s work with Bollinger to bring the Marine-protector class patrol boats into the service. The same core Coast Guard acquisition team that oversaw the CPB project will also oversee the Sentinel-class Patrol Boat.
The Sentinel-class cutters will become the most mission capable patrol boat the Coast Guard has ever operated. Capable of speeds greater than 28 knots, these 154-foot cutters will be crewed by 22 people; armed with one stabilized, remotely operated 25mm chain gun, and multiple .50 caliber machine guns. They will be able to perform independently for at least five days at sea, be underway for 2,500 hours per year, and have C4ISR interoperable with both the DHS and DOD.
Senator David Vitter had nothing but kind words for the Coast Guard. "Day in and day out they serve all of us - they serve our nation extremely well," praised Sen. Vitter. "Thank you, U.S. Coast Guard, for everything you do - and thank you for this great project!"
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