Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, Louisiana, has delivered its response boat small (RBS) III demonstrator to the US Coast Guard, completing development and delivery within months of the awarding of the contract.
As the designer and builder of the US Coast Guard's current RBS fleet, Metal Shark was one of four companies selected by the coast guard in January 2026 to provide prototype platforms under the service's RBS III demonstration program.
The vessel is now undergoing evaluation and testing by the coast guard in Charleston, South Carolina.
The RBS III demonstrator is based on a Metal Shark 29-foot (8.8-metre) interceptor, configured specifically for the US Coast Guard’s response mission with a focus on performance, control, crew comfort and effectiveness, and safety.
Key features of the RBS III include: a patented “stepped-V ventilated tunnel” running surface by Michael Peters Yacht Design, delivering improved speed, handling and seakeeping; twin Mercury Verado 300hp (220kW) outboard engines with joystick docking control; a Seakeeper active ride control system; a Savox communication system with a six-station wireless intercom; Starlink onboard connectivity; and an advanced lithium-powered HVAC system delivering all-day cooling without generator or seawater cooling.
The electronics also include a Raymarine radar and a Teledyne FLIR rotating thermal camera.