Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (March 2012)

34MNMarch 2012 On Patrol Small Boats Serve Diverse U.S. & Foreign Government Missions By Susan BuchananBuoyed by multi-million dollar contracts, yards across the country are building small boats for harbor and sea patrol, rescues, firefighting and other functions for U.S. and overseas military, along with American states and municipalities. Made of aluminum, wood, steel, rein- forced plastic, carbon fiber and other advanced compos- ites, these vessels can be based on existing designs or cus- tom tailored to meet mission requirements. Big govern- ment contracts are a boost to local economies, but spend- ing cuts by federal and other authorities are expected to affect boat builders in the year ahead, and beyond. METAL SHARKBUILDSFOR U.S. COAST GUARD ,CUSTOMS ANDNAVY In mid-November, Louisiana-based MetalShark Aluminum Boats, a subsidiary of Gravois Aluminum Boats in the same city, was awarded a $192 million con- tract to replace the U.S. Coast Guard?s fleet of Response Boat?Small or RB-S vessels. Up to 470 aluminum boats will be delivered over the next eight years to the Coast Guard fleet, along with 20 vessels to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ten to the U.S. Navy. ?The RB-S is suited for port and waterway enforcement, Brunswick 37 JusticeMN#3 (32-49):MN 2011 Layouts 3/2/2012 10:18 AM Page 34