Theodore, Ala. (April 16, 2019) – Today aluminum boat builder Silver Ships, Inc. was awarded an $11 million-dollar firm-fixed-price General Services Administration (GSA) contract for the construction and delivery of up to 160 high speed maneuverable surface targets (HSMST), accessories and deployment spare parts. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to nearly $19.7 million.

Over the past 20 years, Silver Ships has constructed more than 500 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) for the U.S. military, which are used in U.S. Navy fleet ship and tactical aircraft live-fire ordnance training on designated ranges in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The boats are highly versatile and can be operated in either a manned or unmanned configuration.

“Silver Ships is excited to once again receive a U.S. Navy contract award to build additional High Speed, Maneuverable Surface Target boats,” said Shawn W. Lobree, Silver Ships Federal Contracts Manager. “We are proud to help contribute to the deployment readiness of operational forces and we will do our utmost to continue to deliver high-quality workboats to the military.” Lobree is a retired Navy captain and serves as program manager for the project.

The winning HSMST Ambar-series RHIB design is based closely on Silver Ships in-service craft, and was created by the company’s in-house engineering design team, led by senior Naval Architect Clay Danielson. The craft will be built over the next two years, to be completed in 2020.

“The Silver Ships team is committed to providing the highest quality vessels to every customer, and we are pleased to again have the opportunity to work with the U.S. Navy,” said Steven Clarke. “Our entire team works extremely hard to produce these boats, and we’re looking forward to continuing to support their training missions.”

Another significant military vessel under construction at Silver Ships is the Ambar Series 11-meter Naval Special Warfare Surface Support Craft, a commercial aluminum deep-vee hulled boat with a protective collar for open water utility operations. These craft are used from inland bays and waterways to deep water over-the-horizon transits, day and night, in all operating conditions and weather. The vessel is supporting the Special Warfare community via ocean diver and swimmer support, medical transport, vessel towing and water airdrop training, among other missions. The 11-meter craft has a multipurpose deck for carrying various payloads, equipment or mission gear.

Silver Ships, Inc. produces high-quality aluminum boats for military, federal, state and municipal government as well as commercial applications through collaboration with highly skilled design, engineering and production resources. With 34 years of boatbuilding experience and corporate headquarters located in Theodore, Ala., Silver Ships’ production facilities are situated on a 32-acre plant site and utilizes state-of-the-art boatbuilding equipment. The company’s vision is to provide customers with a boat designed, built, outfitted and best-suited to meet their operational needs while offering the maximum in crew safety and outstanding performance. Learn more at silverships.com.