US Coast Guard Extends Contract with Birdon for Motor Lifeboat Upgrades

The U.S. Coast Guard late last month exercised an option to extend its contract with Birdon America for a program to upgrade its fleet of 47' Motor Lifeboats (MLB).

The modification, announced on July 25, extends the term of Birdon's 47' MLB Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) contract through Order Years 6-10 and will allow up to another 72 MLBs to receive significant overhauls and upgrades.

The Coast Guard's primary search and rescue platform, the 47' MLB is an all-weather fast response vessel used to patrol vast areas of the country's coastline. These vessels are designed to operate in surf up to 20 feet, heavy weather with seas of 30 feet combined with 50 knot winds, and are rollover capable, meaning that if capsized, the vessels self-right and can continue operations.

In 2019, Birdon America was awarded a 10-year contract to perform a 20-year service life extension for the U.S. Coast Guard's 47' MLB fleet and extend the useful life of the fleet through 2047.

The company, a subsidiary of the Australia-based Birdon Group, has since established full-rate production facilities in Bellingham, Wash. and Portland, Conn. to facilitate a bi-coastal delivery process, and to date has delivered nineteen MLBs to operational units, with another nineteen currently undergoing SLEP. With the July 25 modification, up to 117 total vessels can be delivered through 2029.

"The unilateral contract modification speaks to the Coast Guard's confidence in Birdon's abilities as a major contractor," said MLB Program Manager Patrick Kinser. "We are fully committed to continuing to deliver high quality boats on schedule to operational units on both coasts."