Ingalls receives RFP for Coast Guard Deepwater Project

March 16, 1998 -- Ingalls Shipbuilding has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) Monday from the U.S. Coast Guard for the USCG’s 21st Century Deepwater Project, which will include a new generation of deepwater cutters.

Business Development Vice President Richard Schenk said the RFP calls for a two-part response over the next 60 days. In this effort, Ingalls is teamed with PRC and other Litton divisions, as well as Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopters, and the Rosenblatt and Sons engineering firm, for the concept evaluation and design phases of the program.

Ingalls and its teammates are now preparing the team’s proposal for submission to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is to make contract awards to three industry teams in July for concept development for the USCG’s Integrated Deepwater System (IDS). In a recent address in Biloxi, the Deputy Manager of the Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program, Commander Mike Watson, USCG, said, "Based on FY98 funding, each industry team will be awarded a $1 million base contract with an estimated $6 million option to be awarded in FY99."

The Coast Guard has projected the total value of the IDS Program, involving as many as 30 new vessels, to be in excess of $7 billion extended possibly over the next 25 years. Schenk said the first ship construction contract award is expected in 2001.