ALCOAST 200/08 COMDTNOTE 04200 SUBJ: DELIVERY OF THE FIRST RESPONSE BOAT - MEDIUM (CG 45601) TO STATION LITTLE CREEK, VA//// 1. ON 07APR08 THE FIRST RESPONSE BOAT - MEDIUM (CG 45601) WAS DELIVERED TO STATION LITTLE CREEK, VA. DELIVERY OF CG 45601 MARKS THE CULMINATION OF SIX YEARS OF EFFORT IN BRINGING THIS VERY CAPABLE ASSET TO THE FIELD. 2. BACKGROUND: THE RESPONSE BOAT - MEDIUM (RB-M) ACQUISITION WAS INITIATED IN DEC 2001 TO REPLACE AND UPGRADE THE CAPABILITY OF THE 41 FOOT UTB. EXECUTED AS A TWO PHASE ACQUISITION, THE FIRST PHASE DELIVERED THREE TEST BOATS OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS FROM THREE DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS. THE TEST BOATS WERE EVALUATED BY A TEAM OF 22 TAD CREW MEMBERS FROM A VARIETY OF STATIONS AND THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATIONS WERE PROVIDED BACK TO THE CONTRACTORS. THE THREE CONTRACTORS THEN PROPOSED REVISED DESIGNS FOR THE SECOND PHASE PRODUCTION CONTRACT. IN JUNE 2006 THE PHASE TWO PRODUCTION CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO MARINETTE MARINE CORPORATION TO COMPLETE DETAILED DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF A PLANNED 180 RB-MS (WITH OPTIONS FOR UP TO 250). MARINETTE MARINE PARTNERED WITH KVICHAK MARINE INDUSTRIES IN THE SEATTLE AREA FOR COMPLETION OF DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RB-MS. DETAILED DESIGN WAS COMPLETED IN JULY 2007 AND WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE START OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST RB-M. 3. CURRENT STATUS: BUILDERS TRIALS WERE COMPLETED ON THE FIRST RB-M NEAR TACOMA, WA ON 17MAR08. FOLLOWING THE TRIALS, CG-45601 WAS SHIPPED CROSS-COUNTRY AND DELIVERED TO PORTSMOUTH, VA ON 31MAR08 FOR ACCEPTANCE TRIALS. ACCEPTANCE TRIALS WENT SMOOTHLY WITH CG-45601 MEETING OR EXCEEDING ALL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. FOLLOWING THE TRIALS CG-45601 WAS DELIVERED TO STATION LITTLE CREEK, VA ON 07APR08. 4. THE WAY AHEAD: A. FUTURE DELIVERIES: DELIVERY OF CG-45601 TO STATION LITTLE CREEK IS THE FIRST OF AN ANTICIPATED 180 RB-MS TO BE DELIVERED OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS. THE SECOND RB-M IS SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY TO STATION CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT IN AUG08, WITH SUBSEQUENT DELIVERIES TO STATIONS KEY WEST, MILWAUKEE, NEW YORK, AND PORT ARANSAS FOLLOWING AT APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH INTERVALS. B. OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION (OT AND E): WITH DELIVERY OF THE INITIAL RB-M THE PROJECT MOVES INTO THE OT AND E PHASE. AFTER MEETING THE CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS, OT AND E WILL BE USED TO VERIFY THE RB-M MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE OPERATIONAL COMMANDER. OVER APPROXIMATELY THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND SUITABILITY WILL BE EVALUATED IN A VARIETY OF STANDARD OPERATIONS AS WELL AS UNIQUE MISSIONS ACROSS A WIDE VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. DURING OT AND E DELIVERIES WILL CONTINUE AT A RATE OF APPROXIMATELY ONE RB-M PER MONTH TO STATIONS IDENTIFIED BY THE OFFICE OF BOAT FORCES, COMDT (CG-731). AS WITH ANY NEW DELIVERY THERE IS SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE RB-M AND A VARIETY OF VIP REQUESTS FOR VISITS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS EVENTS. IN ORDER TO ENSURE OT AND E REMAINS ON SCHEDULE VIP VISITS OR PUBLIC AFFAIRS EVENTS INVOLVING THE RB-M WILL BE LIMITED AND SHOULD BE COORDINATED THROUGH THE SPONSORS REPRESENTATIVE, COMDT (CG-731). C. FULL PRODUCTION: FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF OT AND E THE PROJECT WILL SEEK AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED TO FULL PRODUCTION. ONCE AUTHORIZED, PRODUCTION WILL BE ACCELERATED TO A RATE OF 30 RB-MS PER YEAR IN LATE 2010 AND CONTINUE AT THIS RATE THROUGH DELIVERY OF THE 180TH BOAT, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR 2015. ALL RB-MS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION (HULLS 45602-45605) ARE BEING BUILT BY MARINETTE MARINES SUBCONTRACTOR KVICHAK MARINE IN KENT, WA. TO MEET THE 30 BOAT PER YEAR DELIVERY RATE, MARINETTE MARINE WILL OPEN A SECOND PRODUCTION FACILITY IN WISCONSIN IN LATE 2008. THE RB-M IS A STANDARD BOAT AND TO KEEP IT STANDARD THERE ARE A VARIETY OF CONTROLS IN PLACE WITHIN THE CONTRACT TO ENSURE CONFIGURATION IS MAINTAINED ACROSS TWO PRODUCTION LINES. THESE CONTROLS INCLUDE A SINGLE CONFIGURATION CONTROLLED BY THE PROJECT, A SINGLE DESIGN AGENT (KVICHAK MARINE), A SINGLE SET OF CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS USED BY BOTH FACILITIES, CROSS TRAINED WORKERS SHARED BY BOTH FACILITIES, AND A SINGLE SOURCE FOR PARTS AND MATERIAL. THE PROJECT WILL CLOSELY MONITOR CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE TO ENSURE THE STANDARDIZATION OF EVERY RB-M REGARDLESS OF WHICH FACILITY PRODUCES IT. 5. LOGISTICS: A. THE RB-M WILL BE SUPPORTED USING THE NEW COAST GUARD BUSINESS MODEL. IN THE NEW MODEL, THE SURFACE FORCES LOGISTICS CENTER (SFLC) WILL SUPPORT RB-M VIA THE SMALL BOAT PRODUCT LINE. EXPECTED STAND UP OF SFLC IS JUL 2009. WITH THE STAND UP OF THE SFLC, THE SMALL BOAT PRODUCT LINE MANAGER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF BOAT SUPPORT INCLUDING SUPPORT FUNCTIONS CURRENTLY PROVIDED BY NESU, MLC AND ELC STAFFS. THE NEW MODEL IS CENTERED AROUND BI-LEVEL MAINTENANCE (ORGANIZATIONAL AND DEPOT) WITH SFLC RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL DEPOT MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS ALL TECHNICAL AND LOGISTICS SUPPORT. THE PRODUCT LINE MANAGER WILL SERVE AS THE SINGLE POC FOR ACCESS INTO THE SFLC SUPPORT SYSTEM. THIS MODEL IS CURRENTLY BEING PILOTED FOR RB-S, TANB, UTB, BUSL AND MLB THROUGH EFFORTS AT SECTORS BALTIMORE AND SAN FRANCISCO. ALL LOGISTICS SUPPORT FOR THESE TWO SECTORS IS PROVIDED OUT OF A PRODUCT LINE AT THE NEW ASSET PROJECT OFFICE (APO) IN BALTIMORE. IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL SECTORS WILL BE TRANSITIONED TO THE NEW LOGISTICS MODEL BY DEC 2009. B. FOR INITIAL RB-M DELIVERIES, LOGISTICS SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE PROJECT RESIDENT OFFICE (PRO) WHILE THE SFLC IS STOOD UP. THE PRO HAS ESTABLISHED CONTRACTED LOGISTICS SUPPORT THROUGH MMC THAT FOLLOWS THE SAME PHILOSOPHY OF A SINGLE POC FOR ALL SUPPORT CONCERNS AND DURING THE CONTRACTED LOGISTICS PHASE THE FIELD SUPPORT DESK (FSD) IS THE SINGLE POC. WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMDT (CG-4) AND THE EVENTUAL SFLC, THE FSD WILL COORDINATE AND DELIVER ASSISTANCE TO UNITS AND ACT AS THE CENTRAL REPORTING POINT AND CLEARING HOUSE FOR ALL SUPPORT ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH DELIVERED RB-MS. THE FSD IS THE PRIMARY ACCESS POINT FOR USCG PERSONNEL TO OBTAIN TECHNICAL AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT UNTIL SFLC STAND UP AND CAN BE REACHED AT (877)-526-4545 OR AT HELPDESK(AT)RBMSUPPORT.COM. C. UNTIL THE TRANSITION TO THE SFLC IS COMPLETE, THE PRO WILL PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SFLC PRODUCT LINE AND THE PRO CO WILL SERVE AS THE PRODUCT LINE MANAGER FOR THE RB-M. FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THE TRANSITION FROM CONTRACTED LOGISTICS SUPPORT TO SFLC SMALL BOAT PRODUCT LINE MANAGEMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED SEPCOR. 6. PROJECT POINTS OF CONTACT: A. INFORMATION ON THE RB-M IS AVAILABLE ON THE RB-M PROJECT WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/ACQUISITION/RBM AND AT A CONTRACTOR MAINTAINED WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.RESPONSEBOATPROJECT.NET. B. PROJECT MANAGER: CAPT MARK PORVAZNIK (202) 475-3105 C. DEPUTY PROJ MANAGER: CDR ROBERT MACLEOD (202) 475-3106 D. PROJECT MASTER CHIEF: MKCM DANIEL WONG (202) 475-3109 E. SPONSOR REP (CG-731): MR. DAVID SHEPARD (202) 372-2468 F. PRO CO/PLM: CDR JERRY DOHERTY (253) 867-2610 X3001 G. PRO XO: LCDR DOUGLAS LIESS (253) 867-2610 X3003 H. PRO FSD OVERSIGHT: (253) 867-2610 X3041/CELL:(253) 561 6746 I. FIELD SUPPORT DESK: (877)-526-4545 OR (401) 847-0260 FAX: (401) 846-4431 E-MAIL: HELPDESK(AT)RBMSUPPORT.COM 7. WITH DELIVERY OF THE FIRST RB-M, THE PROJECT HAS MOVED INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE ACQUISITION AND REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT CREED "HONOR BOAT CREWS, EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY, DELIVER VALUE". 8. RADM D. G. GABEL, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR ENGINEERING AND LOGISTICS AND RADM G. T. BLORE, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR ACQUISITION SENDS. 9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.