WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been awarded a preliminary design contract for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) worth more than $21 million. BIW is now one of three shipyards in contention for the final contract.

“With its skilled workforce and an outstanding record of designing, building, and providing superior life-cycle support for ships, Bath Iron Works is uniquely positioned to build vessels like the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutters,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “The Offshore Patrol Cutter would not only be an excellent fit for BIW, but it would also create good-jobs and be a substantial boost to Maine’s economy. We are delighted that BIW has been selected to move forward in the Coast Guard’s contract process.”

The Coast Guard released a Request for Proposal for the design and construction of the Offshore Patrol Cutter that closed on January 23, 2013, and BIW was one of the original eight shipyards to submit a design and construction proposal for the OPC. Today, the U.S. Coast Guard has reportedly narrowed the number of competitive shipyards to three. 

The Coast Guard will continue the source selection and select up to three preliminary designs in early 2014 for a two-year period of performance before down-selecting to a single design and shipbuilder. The OPC will complement the Coast Guard's legacy fleet and next-generation cutters to extend operational capabilities across the mission spectrum. Construction on the OPC is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2017.

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