The United States Navy has awarded Willard Marine (WMI) a five-year contract to provide two types of seven-metre rigid inflatable boat (RIBs), which will serve as ready-service lifeboats for search-and-rescue missions.
The contract includes a standard craft based on the seven-metre RIB WMI has been producing for the US Navy for 25 years, and a separate version specifically for LPD-17 class ships, which WMI has also been supplying for a number of years.
Twenty-four vessels have already been ordered under the contract and the first scheduled delivery begins in March 2015.
According to WMI, a significant operational requirement for the shipboard RIBs was that each boat must be carried aboard and deployed from a variety of US Navy ship classes.
Thus, the boats will be compatible with a variety of existing shipboard handling and stowage systems, including traditional davits and stowage chocks and other class-specific launch, recovery, and handling systems.
The contract specifies a 189kW inboard Steyr diesel engine with a Bravo Two X MerCruiser sterndrive.
All vessels will be delivered with a man overboard indicator system display and antenna, as well as a forward machine gun foundation.
