Silver Ships, of Theodore, has been awarded its largest contract to date — a $6.1 million firm-fixed-price General Services Administration contract for the construction and delivery of up to 246 High-Speed Maneuvering Surface Target (HSMST) custom vessels.
The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $48.25 million.
“Silver Ships is honored to receive this contract. Our team is committed to building quality, custom-designed vessels to meet the Navy’s mission-specific requirements,” said Steven Clarke, Silver Ships CEO.
Since 1994, the U.S. military has operated Silver Ships Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) throughout all branches. The company has built and delivered more than 800 RHIBs to the U.S. military. This contract entails the construction of the company’s AM800 RHIB.
The 27-foot custom-built AM800 target boats feature a 9-foot 8-inch beam and include air or foam collar depending on the boat variant. Each AM800 will be outfitted with a specialized compartment designed for installing remote control systems and electronics. These target boats are fully operational and built to the Navy’s specifications and payload requirements depending on the boat’s mission. Vessels can be operated by one or two people for training purposes but are remotely operated during live-fire training.
“During my Navy service, I greatly benefitted from being able to train with the Silver Ships’ HSMST vessels during pre-deployment live-fire events. Their durability and survivability are invaluable and really have made a big impact on fleet operational readiness over the years,” said Shawn Lobree, a retired U.S. Navy captain and Silver Ships’ HSMST project manager.
Delivery of the first target boats is scheduled for March 2024.
