(MOBILE, Ala.) — Silver Ships recently completed the first deliveries for Naval Sea Systems Command of seven 11-meter open center console vessels and two 8-meter open center console vessels. The Navy has also conducted pre-delivery inspection and testing of three vessel variants included in the contract.
The Naval Special Warfare surface support craft (SSC) contract entails construction of five vessel variants of the Ambar series of rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs). The support craft are aluminum deep-V hull boats with a protective collar.
Silver Ships’ 8- and 11-meter craft have a multipurpose deck for carrying various payloads or mission gear. Variants of the SSC include both open center console and cabin versions, in addition to the SPC-LE2 variant. These craft are used from inland bays and waterways to deep water over-the-horizon transits, operating in all conditions. The Navy SSC vessels will support the Naval Special Warfare community via ocean diver and swimmer support, medical transport, vessel towing and water airdrop training, among other missions.
Silver Ships has also delivered the first SPC-LE2 vessel variants to Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., Coast Guard Station South Padre Island, Texas, and the Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, S.C. The 11-meter Coast Guard SPC-LE2 vessels are armed and will be operated in varying conditions along the length of the borders of the United States and the Caribbean.
Typical SPC-LE2 missions involve intercepting suspicious vessels entering U.S. waters and the vessels will also be used for port security and other missions. An additional vessel variant under advanced design and production is the 11-meter cabin version.
The $8.2 million delivery order is a firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity single award contract by Naval Sea Systems Command for the construction and delivery of up to 110 Naval Special Warfare SSCs and Coast Guard SPC-LEs, in addition to other accessories, parts and training. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $51.6 million. Production work would continue through 2026-2027.
“We are very pleased with early production and testing of the NSW SSC and SPC-LE2 boats. More importantly, our Navy and Coast Guard customers have inspected the first of three variants and are pleased with vessel performance,” said Shawn Lobree, Silver Ships federal contracts manager and project lead. “Initial inspections and testing were completed in a spirit of teamwork, continuous learning and improvement. We will continue to closely team with these partners as we increase production to meet contract requirements in the next several years.”
Silver Ships began building SSCs for the Navy in 2006 and has constructed more than 650 RHIBs for all branches of the U.S. military over the past 20 years. All of the boats are highly versatile, rugged and designed to be operated in open ocean and near-coastal environments.
– Silver Ships
