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PB(X) Defiant-class 40-foot Patrol Boat

Developed as the replacement for up to 160 patrol vessels deployed worldwide with the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Command’s Coastal Riverine Forces, Metal Shark’s design was selected by the US Navy from a field of seven competing shipbuilders. The 40PB is not a replacement for the much larger Mark VI.

Navy Reserve executes 100 percent of the CONUS High Value Unit (HVU) escort mission performed by the Coastal Riverine Force within Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC). The work horse of the HVU mission is the 34ft Patrol Boat. These boats have a 12 year service life, and 79 percent of the Reserve boats will exceed their service life by the end of fiscal year 2019. Continued operation of a normal 34ft patrol boat beyond the 12-year service life requires a modernization and overhaul service life extension to bring the boat up to current standards. This extension program takes up to 8 months, with an associated cost between $600,000 and $800,000 on average per vessel.

To operate a boat past the 12-year service life without the modernization/overhaul risks catastrophic mechanical and/or mission failure. The future platform for HVU operations, and NECC operations as a whole, is the Patrol Boat-X (PB-X) program, which is set to begin production during fiscal year 2017.

The Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) issued a Sources Sought on behalf of the Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Program Office (PMS 325), to provide industry the status of the Navy's plans to recapitalize the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command's (NECC) 25 feet and 34 feet Patrol Boats (Force Protection boats) that are currently in use with the NECC Coastal Riverine Force (CRF). Subject to annual appropriations, the Navy intends to replace approximately 100-160 of these boats over the next 15 years with a larger craft with a nominal length of 40-ft. This new craft is currently designated as PB-X. Based on the responses to the previous RFI's, and subsequent Government analysis, the technical requirements for PB-X have been adjusted.

In 2016, PEO Ships held an Industry Day in support of the upcoming Patrol Boat (PB(X)) procurement that attracted 28 small businesses. Of those businesses, over 20 were new to the Navy patrol boat industrial base. Small businesses are often not accustomed to the acquisition process of a government contract. To promote awareness, PEO Ships shares best practices for submitting competitive proposals and adhering to contract requirements. These discussions often take place at Industry Days prior to solicitation of a new contract and highlight opportunities for small businesses, facilitating an exchange of information between interested parties and the government’s program, contracts and legal personnel.

As maintaining adequate cash flow and stable workloads can be challenging for small businesses, PEO Ships works with NAVSEA contracting professionals to provide performance-based, commercial-type payment clauses to accommodate restrained fiscal resources. Additionally, through increased use of indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity type contracts for standard boat and service craft, companies are able to plan workload over a longer period of time, creating necessary stability.

PB-X will be designated as an ACAT IVT program. The Navy plans to award an initial 5-year IDIQ contract in FY17 for at least 18 boats. After contract award the Government will conduct a series of Design Reviews and a Production Readiness Review with the builder that will occur prior to the start of Initial Production. In addition to the delivery of the boat, the successful bidder will provide engineering and design services, crew familiarization training, an initial spares package, technical documentation, configuration management and post-delivery test and logistics support.

Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, doing business as Metal Shark,* Jeanerette, Louisiana, was awarded an $29,825,856 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity single award contract for design and construction of up to 50 patrol boats for the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command. At the time of contract award, 11 patrol boats are being purchased in addition to the initial engineering and design of the patrol boats and data rights to the design. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $90,271,218. Work under the first order will be performed in Jeanerette, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2017 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $18,912,930 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set aside via Federal Business Opportunities website with seven offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia is the contracting activity (N00024-17-D-2209).

The 40PB is designed to operate day or night, in all-weather and will patrol green water littoral zones such as coastal water approaches, bays, major rivers, ports, and harbors. Specifically, the craft will support maritime security operation missions and tasks such as Harbor Approach Defense; High Value Unit Transit Escort Operations; Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Operations and Overwatch; Critical Infrastructure Protection; Amphibious Operations Support; Riverine Operations; Mine Warfare Support; Embarked Forces Support (e.g., SOF, EOD, USCG LEDET); and, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Support. The overall mission objective is "presence and deterrence.”

Metal Shark’s 40 Defiant is a revolutionary new monohull patrol boat platform designed to meet the military needs of tomorrow in a quickly changing world. Developed as the replacement for up to 160 patrol vessels deployed worldwide with the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Command’s Coastal Riverine Forces, Metal Shark’s design was selected by the US Navy from a field of seven competing shipbuilders. Designed to address the vulnerabilities of traditional patrol boats while expanding the mission role of the platform over its predecessor, the 40 Defiant delivers substantial increases in capabilities and firepower. Shown here in US Navy 40 PB configuration, the 40 Defiant is available or acquisition by qualified operators and may be fully customized to meet a wide range of mission profiles.

The 40 Defiant satisfies the visual-deterrent requirements of today’s naval forces with a futuristic design featuring a chiseled and menacing profile and unique faceted hull. Unlike other available welded-aluminum military patrol boat offerings, which are often hard to distinguish from a commercial work boat or even a private recreational vessel, the 40 Defiant is immediately identifiable as a no-nonsense military machine ready to respond with overwhelming force to any hostile threat. The 40 Defiant flaunts its capability and bristles with armament. As configured for the US Navy, the vessel features six MK 16 weapons foundations plus a large forward foundation for stabilized, remote operated, optically guided MK 49 / MK 50 weapons systems. Like all Metal Shark offerings, the 40 Defiant may be customized to suit operator requirements and may be configured to accommodate the complete range of available weapons systems.

The 40 Defiant has been designed to carry a power projection capability far beyond that of a traditional force protection boat. The vessel therefore boasts a superlative array of capabilities. Available ballistic protection enables the vessel to sustain extended firefights, allowing crews to respond with overwhelming force to asymmetric threats such as swarm attacks while remaining secure and protected from hostile fire. The armored, climate-controlled pilothouse may be configured with a wide range of shock-mitigating seating options. The vessel delivers enhanced situational awareness and fleet connectivity through an advanced communications and sensor suite. These capabilities allow operators to expand the the mission profile of their patrol boats, allowing them to operate in permissive environments during asset protection and port security missions, and also to make forays into hostile environments.

The 40 Defiant employs a mission-optimized hull form designed to achieve 40-knot sprint speeds while displaying superb dynamic stability across the full range of operating environments. The vessel also exhibits enhanced handling and delivers greatly reduced operating cost at the 10-15 knot escort speeds typical of force protection missions. As configured for the Navy, the 40 Defiant is powered by twin Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel inboards, coupled via Twin Disc MG5065SC marine transmissions to Hamilton HTX30 water jets developed specifically for the Navy 40 PB program. Metal Shark offers the 40 Defiant with a wide range of propulsion choices to suit various mission profiles.

The 40 Defiant has been designed to meet the evolving requirements of modern military engagement and is the result of an unprecedented investment in testing and development. Setting a new standard for military patrol boats, this futuristic military vessel delivers unmatched lethality, next-generation situational awareness, and greatly improved safety for our fighting forces, in a thoroughly tested platform now being made available for other customers in other markets, in a range of styles and sizes. Like each model in Metal Shark’s ever-growing portfolio, the 40 Defiant may be custom configured to meet a wide range of unique mission profiles.

The overall objective of the 27 April 2021 Sources Sought N0002422R2275 is to conduct market research in support of preliminary planning for the acquisition of 100, 40’ Patrol Boats, referred to as 40PB. This will be a follow-on solicitation to N00024-17-D-2209 awarded to Metal Shark Boats, 29 September 2017. It is anticipated, subject to annual appropriations, that 100 boats will be procured. Interested sources are encouraged to submit a capability summary describing similar vessel design(s) and firm's recent relevant business experience and their approach in meeting the requirements stated above.

The U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales Boat and Craft Program Office (PMS 300) announced an Industry Day for the follow-on solicitation for the 40’ Patrol Boat. The Industry Day was divided into two (2) parts. Part 1 was be a Navy-led brief of the 40PB program, and a review of the draft solicitation package and Part 2 was a 40PB boat tour and one-on-one meetings with industry.  Part 1, Industry Day, was held on 2 February 2022, via teleconference and Part 2, 40PB boat tour and one-on-one discussions on 4 February 2022. An objective of this engagement was to inform industry of the upcoming procurement and gain feedback on the draft RFP package.

This boat will be a Government design. While the Navy intends to solicit multiple sources for the patrol boat under a competitive small business set aside, the requirement specifies Brand Name commercial items. Additionally, brand-name or equal descriptions are presumed to have no equivalents; however, it is possible that an equivalent or potentially superior product or system may be found or become available. The use of the brand name equipment is essential to achieve the standardization and commonality required by the Navy. The rational for this requirement is to standardize the equipment (brand name) on the incoming patrol boat boats to what is currently on the in-service fleet deployed worldwide. Changes to these items could result in substantial duplication of cost that is not expected to be recovered through competition.