Page 23: of Marine News Magazine (July 2025)

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Patrol Boats

USCG

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Christine Bills

A Coast Guard Station Manistee crew operate an ice rescue skiff ice

Jan. 30, 2024, on Manistee Lake, Michigan. The crew conducted ice helicopter operations with Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City to enhance their rescue training techniques during the winter season.

Request for Information will help Coast

Gurd with Response Boat Replacement

The Coast Guard is looking ahead to replacing the 29’

Response Boat - Small 2nd generation (RB-S II). The service recently posted a “Request for Information,” (RFI), which isn’t a solicitation, but rather a way to understand the state of the market base for what will become the Response Boat - Small, 3rd Generation (RB-S III).

According to the RFI, “The RB-S II is a shore-based boat with primary missions in Search & Rescue (SAR); Law

Enforcement (LE); Ports, Waterways, Coastal, and Security (PWCS); Drug Interdiction (DI); and Migrant Interdiction (MI).”

Among other things, the RFI asks if potential bidders can build and deliver an operational test and evaluation boat in a 3-month timeframe or 6-month timeframe. It also asks, “Is 7 years a reasonable period to build and deliver the full ? eet of approximately 348 boats?”

U.S. Coast Guardsmen from the

Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin

Jr. (WPC 1147) board a vessel suspected of smuggling illegal narcotics during Focused

Operation Crimson Barracuda in the Arabian Sea, April 10, 2024.

Of? cial U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo 23 www.marinelink.com MN |