Bollinger Built The Boats:Coast Guard Secures Persian Gulf

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to secure the Persian Gulf in support of Operation New Dawn,successor to Operation Iraqi Freedom.Performing the task are the crews of six Island class patrol boats.These 110-foot cutters have a complement of 16 and a range of 1900 nautical miles.They are armed with one Mk38 25mm machine gun and two .50 caliber machine guns.
The Island class is powered by two diesel engines and has a speed of 29.5+ knots.It is currently being refurbished for cost-effectiveness and to extend its service life by another 15 years.The patrol boats are the product of Bollinger Shipyards,Inc.
Bollinger operates 12 shipyards with 32 drydocks in South Louisiana and Texas.It was founded in 1946 and serves both commercial and military interests.

Lockheed Team To Build

The Lockheed Martin industry team has been awarded a contract to build the third littoral combat ship.It will be the team's second LCS.They also built the USS Freedom(LCS1),while General Dynamics and Austal USA built the Independence(LCS2).The Navy may acquire up to 55 of the ships.The LCS is designed for missions in shallower water such as anti-mine,anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare,as well as maritime interdiction,intelligence-gathering and anti-terrorism.The next contract will be for three more ships,and is to be awarded in 2010.The lowest bid will win.Both versions of the LCS can sail at speeds of more than 40 knots.They have a basic complement of 40,with berthing for 75.Other members of the Lockheed team are Marinette Marine Corporation and Bollinger Shipyard.