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Regional Class Research Vessel

On Sep 08, 2005 the Naval Sea Systems Command announced plans to issue RFP N00024-05-R-2230 for the Phased acquisition of the design and construction of up to three Regional Class Research Vessels on behalf of (and to support) the efforts of the National Science Foundation. The Regional Class Research Vessel will be a modern monohull research ship capable of integrated, interdisciplinary, oceanographic research in areas from shallow coastal bays and estuaries out to deeper water. The RFP included a performance specification statement of requirements where the ship will have a length of approximately 140 to 165 feet; a draft of 12 feet maximum navigational; maximum speed of at least 12 knots and a sustained speed of 10 to 11 knots in calm seas at full load; a range of 5,400 to 6,500 nautical miles at sustained speed in calm water. RCRVs shall be U.S. flagged new construction ships and supported through commercial resources. The RCRVs will be classed in accordance with American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards, certified by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and designed/built in conformance with Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements and other commercial and regulatory body rules and regulations as applicable.

The RCRV acquisition consists of two phases. Phase I will be a twelve month preliminary/contract design period for the RCRV. Two Phase I contracts will be awarded as a result of this solicitation. Phase II will be awarded upon the completion of Phase I and will consist of the detail design and construction of up to three ships. Phase II will begin with the completion of the solicitation's source selection process by requesting a proposal only from the two Phase I contractors and accepting one that represents overall the best value to the Government. The planned date for release of the RFP is 4th Quarter, CY05 with planned date of award during the 1st Quarter CY06. The planned date for award of Phase II is 2nd4th Quarter CY 076. The first ship delivery is planned for CY09.

The Regional Class Research Vessel will be a modern monohull research ship capable of integrated, interdisciplinary, oceanographic research in areas from shallow coastal bays and estuaries out to deeper water. The ships shall be capable of performing the following tasks:

• a. Sampling and data collection of surface, midwater and sea floor parameters using modern scientific instrumentation.
• b. Launch, towing, and recovery of scientific packages, both tethered and autonomous.
• c. Handling, monitoring and servicing of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
• d. Deployment and recovery of autonomous air vehicles (AAVs) and balloons.
• e. Deployment and recovery of moorings.
• f. Deployment and recovery of boats (appropriate for vessel size).
• g. Deployment and recovery of free-floating instruments.
• h. Shipboard data processing and sample analyses in modern, well-equipped scientific laboratories.
• i. Precise navigation and stationkeeping and track-line maneuvering to support deep sea and coastal operations.
• j. Long periods of operation (up to 30 days) on-station or at low speeds.

The ship shall be supported through commercial resources. The ship's crew will be capable of performing routine preventative and corrective maintenance procedures. Maintenance beyond the crew's capability will be commercially performed. Ship layout shall include adequate space for ship repair and maintenance functions including storage of spare parts.

The ship will operate independently without fleet support. The ship is expected to average 200 days per year at sea with missions lasting up to 30 days. Low maintenance, high reliability, and redundancy are important to achieve these goals. The design shall ensure that the vessel can be effectively and safely operated in support of science by a well trained, but relatively small crew complement. The regional conditions, available ports, and shore side services shall be considered during the design process.

Economy of operation including minimized crew size, fuel efficiency, and reduced life cycle cost are of paramount concern in the design of these ships. Ship and scientific systems shall be designed to minimize required operating crew size. Propulsion and auxiliary systems and equipment shall be selected and designed to maximize fuel economy in all modes of operation including normal cruising, survey, towing, and on-station. The ship's hull form, appendages, and propulsive devices shall be designed to enhance fuel efficiency.

The ship shall be designed and constructed under ABS survey for unrestricted service, and classed under ABS XA1 Circle E , XAMS, XACCU, XDPS-1, NIBS, in accordance with ABS Rules, ABS Guide for Bridge Design and Navigational Equipment/Systems and ABS Guide for Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking Survey (UWILD). The ship shall be classified by ABS for Ice Class D0. The ship shall be certified by the USCG in accordance with 46 CFR, Subchapter U (Oceanographic Vessels), and shall comply with all applicable federal regulations. The Contractor shall provide the materials, equipment and outfit items required for the ship to operate in compliance with regulatory body requirements. The ship shall be equipped to satisfy the Panama Canal Transit Regulations The Contractor shall obtain and provide a United States Certificate of Admeasurement, an International Tonnage Certificate, Deratting Exemption, Certificate of Sanitary Construction and a Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) Net Tonnage Certificate, certificates of compliance with MARPOL Annex I and Annex V, and an International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) certificate. The ship shall comply with SOLAS requirements.

A stern working area shall be provided with a minimum of 1,000 sq ft (1,200 sq ft desired) of clear space aft of the deck house. In addition, a 50 foot long by 10 foot wide area of clear deck shall be provided along the starboard rail contiguous with the aft working area. The total clear working deck area including the starboard side shall be a minimum of 1,300 sq ft (1,500 sq ft desired). In the event space tradeoffs require a reduction in lab and working deck space below the desired levels, working deck space shall take priority over lab space. However, a balanced ratio of lab space, working deck space, and number of science accommodations shall be provided. The stern deck area shall be as clear as possible to accommodate large and heavy temporary equipment. Bulwarks shall be removable and all deck-mounted gear (winches, portable cranes, stern frames, etc.) shall be removable to a flush deck to provide flexible reconfiguration.

The design shall strive for a dry working deck with provisions for allowing safe deployment and recovery of free-floating equipment to and from the water. The use of innovative design features to facilitate safe and effective equipment launch and recovery while maintaining dry and safe weather decks shall be considered. A clear foredeck area shall be provided to accommodate small, specialized towers, booms, and other sampling equipment. Additional deck areas shall be provided with the means for flexible and effective installation of incubators, vans, workboats, and temporary equipment.

Provisions are required for readily installing equipment that is brought onboard occasionally such as portable winches, SeaSoar, MOCNESS, Deep Tow, Magnetometers, specialized ADCPs, slack tether ROVs, AUVs, AAVs, and other 25 systems. Power sources, deck space, mounting locations, data connections, hydraulic power, and compressed air shall be provided to support these installations.