Metal Shark gets Navy contract

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has been selected by the U.S. Navy to build near coastal patrol vessels for partner nations through the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales program.

Metal Shark’s proposal was selected from a field of six competing shipyards.

Under the terms of the award, potentially worth upwards of $54 million, Metal Shark will build up to 13 85-foot Defiant-class welded aluminum cutters for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other United States partner nations. Additionally, Metal Shark will supply electro-optical infrared sensors, diagnostic equipment, in-country reactivation, crew familiarization, and test support to NCPV operators.

The new vessels are based on Damen Shipyards’ Stan Patrol 2606 design, tailored by Metal Shark to suit the requirements of the NCPV mission.

The cutter can accommodate search and rescue, border patrol, police and customs duties, counter-narcotics operations, and securing waters of economic importance.

The NCPV fleet will be built at Metal Shark’s Franklin waterfront shipyard, which recently completed the on-time delivery of six 88-foot, high-speed passenger vessels for New York City’s Ferry Service.

Other noteworthy Metal Shark builds include ongoing construction of the 500-boat Response Boat – Small (RB-S) contract for the US Coast Guard and 80-boat Force Protection Boat – Medium (FPB-M) contract for the US Navy, four 88’ passenger vessels currently being built for the Potomac Riverboat Company division of Entertainment cruises for Washington DC, two 105’ high speed passenger ferries for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, and nearly 200 vessels either in production or delivered over the past three years to the militaries of over 20 United States partner nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South America.