R 082010Z MAR 12 ALCOAST 113/12 COMDTNOTE 4200 SUBJ: RESPONSE BOAT-MEDIUM ACQUISITION UPDATE A. COGARD PRO RBM SEATTLE WA 222321Z SEP 11 1. THE DELIVERY OF THE FIRST RB-M OCCURRED AT STATION LITTLE CREEK, VA ON 31MAR08. TO DATE, 166 RB-MS HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND 83 HAVE BEEN DELIVERED THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AS WELL AS ALASKA, HAWAII, AND PUERTO RICO. DELIVERED ASSETS ARE STANDING THE WATCH AND HAVE LOGGED OVER 73,000 FLEET OPERATING HOURS IN PROSECUTING NUMEROUS PWCS, LE, AND SAR CASES ACROSS THE COAST GUARD. 2. CURRENT STATUS: THE RB-M PROJECT WAS APPROVED FOR FULL RATE PRODUCTION IN MARCH 2010. IN APRIL 2010, THE PROJECT ACHIEVED INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY (IOC) WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE FIRST RB-M AFTER APPROVAL OF THE FULL RATE PRODUCTION DECISION. BOATS ARE BEING PRODUCED BY MARINETTE MARINE CORPORATION ON TWO PARALLEL PRODUCTION LINES IN KENT, WA AND GREEN BAY, WI AND DELIVERIES ARE IN EXCESS OF 30 BOATS PER YEAR TO STATIONS IDENTIFIED BY THE OFFICE OF BOAT FORCES (CG-731). THE CURRENT FOCUS OF THE ACQUISITION IS TO INCORPORATE DESIGN REFINEMENTS AND TRANSITION LOGISTICS SUPPORT FROM THE CONTRACTOR TO THE COAST GUARD. 3. DESIGN REFINEMENTS: THE FIRST SIX RB-MS WERE THE PRIMARY OPERATIONAL TESTING AND EVALUATION ASSETS AND COMPLETED OPERATIONAL TESTING AT STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COAST GUARD IN DECEMBER 2009. FINAL RESULTS DETERMINED THAT THE RB-M MEETS THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE COAST GUARD AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE VENERABLE 41 FOOT UTB. MINOR ISSUES IDENTIFIED ARE BEING ADDRESSED VIA DESIGN REFINEMENTS. APPROVED ENGINEERING CHANGE PROPOSALS (ECPS) WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE PRODUCTION LINE. FOR DELIVERED RB-MS, TIME COMPLIANCE TECHNICAL ORDERS (TCTOS) WILL BE ISSUED FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THE FLEET. SELECTED DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS AND CORRESPONDING STATUS ARE AS FOLLOWS: A. FORWARD GUN MOUNT STAND: THIS CHANGE IMPROVES OPERABILITY OF THE FORWARD GUN MOUNT BY LOWERING THE MOUNT AND ADDING A MORE SUBSTANTIAL HANDHOLD TO THE FOUNDATION. B. CREW SEATING IN PILOTHOUSE: A PROTOTYPE SEAT THAT IMPROVES SHOCK MITIGATION, MAINTAINABILITY, AND ERGONOMICS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND IS UNDERGOING TESTING AT STATIONS CASTLE HILL, NEW YORK, LITTLE CREEK, AND PORT ANGELES. THE PROJECT IS WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO FINALIZE THESE REFINEMENTS. C. CREW COMMUNICATION SYSTEM UPGRADES: A PROTOTYPE THAT IMPROVES PERFORMANCE AND USABILITY HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR FURTHER TESTING AT STATION CASTLE HILL, RI. THIS NEW CONFIGURATION ALSO INCLUDES A LESS BULKY HEADSET WITHOUT NOISE CANCELLATION AND IMPROVED CHARGING CAPABILTIY. D. DEPTH SOUNDER TRANSDUCER: THE CURRENT SINS TRANSDUCER DOES NOT PERFORM RELIABLY IN HIGH SPEED OPERATIONS. TESTING OF ALTERNATE TRANSDUCERS AND LOCATIONS ON THE RB-M HULL IS COMPLETE. WHILE CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN HIGH SPEED TURNS, IN PARTICULAR TO PORT, HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN ANY TESTED CONFIGURATION, A 1 KILOWATT TRANSDUCER WILL IMPROVE RELIABILITY THROUGH 35 PLUS KNOT RANGE OF SPEED ON STEADY COURSE. THE CONFIGURATION CONTROL BOARD (CCB) IS EVALUATING THE RESULTS FOR POTENTIAL APPROVAL. E. HEAVY WEATHER MODIFICATIONS: THE RB-M HAS EXCEEDED THE SEA KEEPING PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS AND HAS PROVEN TO BE A MUCH MORE CAPABLE ASSET IN HEAVY WEATHER SEA STATES WHEN COMPARED TO A 41 FOOT UTB. TO LEVERAGE THIS CAPABILITY, THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO ENHANCE CHARACTERISTICS AND SUITABILITY FOR HEAVY WEATHER OPERATIONS FOR ALL RB-MS: INSTALLATION OF ENGINE ROOM AIR INTAKE BAFFLE PLATES, FOLDING STEPS FOR MAST ACCESS, ENHANCED ENGINE MOUNT ASSEMBLY, AND NON-SKID MATERIAL TO THE ENGINE AND FORWARD PEAK HATCH. F. A COMPLETE LIST OF PENDING CHANGES AND THEIR STATUS CAN BE FOUND ON THE RB-M PORTAL WEB SITE AT HTTPS://CGPORTAL.USCG.MIL/CTL/1GEA71Z. 4. LOGISTICS SUPPORT: IN ADDITION TO DELIVERING BOATS AND MAKING DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS, THE RB-M ACQUISTION PROJECT OFFICE CONTINUES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE ASSET PROJECT OFFICE (APO), THE SMALL BOAT PRODUCT LINE (SBPL), AND OTHER CG STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM ACQUISITION TO SUSTAINMENT. ONGOING INITIATIVES INCLUDE: A. TRAINING: DEVELOPMENT OF TWO RB-M SPECIFIC C SCHOOL COURSES IS NEARING COMPLETION. THE FIRST COURSE IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL MAINTENANCE (OLM) CURRICULUM FOCUSING ON THE AURAGEN POWER AND VECTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE SECOND COURSE IS A COXSWAIN COURSE FOCUSING ON BOAT HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND OPERATIONS. THESE COURSES WILL BE ADMINISTERED AT TRACEN YORKTOWN. THE COURSES ARE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO START IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF FY13 AND WILL BE TARGETED TO CREWS WHO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE RB-M. B. MAINTENANCE PLANNING: ORGANIZATIONAL-LEVEL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE CARDS (MPCS) HAVE BEEN VALIDATED. ELECTRONICS MPC MODIFICATIONS AND ADDITIONS ARE NEARING COMPLETION. EACH DEPOT MPC WILL BE VALIDATED DURING THE AVAILABILITY OF RG-M HULL 45601 AT ISA PORTSMOUTH, VA, SCHEDULED FOR FY 2012. FIELDING OF DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER AIDED TOOLS (DCAT) IS IN PROGRESS. PLANS ARE TO SHIP DCATS TO GEOGRAPHICALLY-DESGNATED STATIONS. PROCUREMENT AND SHIPMENTS OF RB-M SPECIFIC TOOL KITS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY PER REF A. C. PROVISIONING: INITIAL PARTS PROVISIONING IS IN PROGRESS. ADDITIONAL SPARES WILL BE ORDERED BASED ON MEAN-TIME-BETWEEN-FAILURE (MTBF) RATES. ALL MAJOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER (OEM) VENDORS ARE UNDER CONTRACT TO PROVIDE INITIAL PARTS PROVISIONING. PARTS HAVE STARTED TO ARRIVE AT THE ALC WAREHOUSE AND WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 6 MONTHS. INVENTORY OF AVAILABLE PARTS IS MANAGED BY THE SBPL AND IS UPDATED AND VISIBLE THRU ASSET LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (ALMIS). D. FACILITIES: RB-M FACILITY ISSUES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE OFFICE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING (CG-43) FOR STATIONS SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE AN RB-M. SEVERAL FACILITY CHANGES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS WILL BE FUNDED OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. PROJECTS ARE BEING EXECUTED REGIONALLY THRU EACH UNITS SERVICING CIVIL ENGINEERING UNIT (CEU). E. TECHNICAL DATA: THE SURFACE FORCES LOGISTICS CENTER (SFLC) AND THE APO CO-CHAIRED A TEAM TO PLAN THE TRANSITION OF TECHNICAL DATA TO EXISTING COAST GUARD MAINTENANCE DATABASES SUCH AS NAVAL ENGINEERING TECHNICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NE-TIMS), FLEET LOGISTICS SYSTEM (FLS), AND ALMIS. THIS DATA INCLUDES MPCS, ILLUSTRATED PARTS BREAKDOWNS (IPBS), A 3-D MODEL, 2-D DRAWINGS AND SCHEMATICS, AND TECHNICAL MANUALS. THIS MIGRATION WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO FINAL PROJECT TRANSITION. 5. WITH CONTINUING DELIVERIES OF RB-MS, DESIGN REFINEMENTS, AND INTEGRATED LOGISTICS SUPPORT, THE PROJECT IS ACQUIRING ASSETS THAT ARE PROVEN REPLACEMENTS WITH CAPABILITIES THAT FAR EXCEED THOSE OF THE 41 FOOT UTB. USED IN HEAVY WEATHER AND ON MISSIONS TYPICAL FOR LARGER PATROL BOATS, THE RB-M PROVIDES SUPERIOR SEA KEEPING, ENDURANCE, AND SENSOR CAPABILITY. RECENT RB-M SUCCESSES INCLUDE THE NOVEMBER 2011 RESCUE OF A KITE BOARDER BY AN RB-M CREW FROM STATION FORT PIERCE, FL IN 8 FOOT SEAS AND A MAJOR DRUG INTERDICTION MADE BY AN RB-M CREW FROM STATION LOS ANGELES/LONG BEACH, CA. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT CREED "HONOR BOAT CREWS, EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY, DELIVER VALUE". 6. PROJECT POINTS OF CONTACT: A. PROJECT MANAGER: CAPT JOEL DOLBECK (202)475-3105 B. DEPUTY PROJ MANAGER: CAPT JEFF PETERS (202)475-3106 C. PROJECT MASTER CHIEF: MKCM DANIEL WONG (202)475-3109 D. SPONSORS REP COMDT (CG-731): MR. DAVID SHEPARD (202)372-2468 E. PRO COMMANDING OFF/PLM: CDR GREG ROTHROCK (253)867-2610 EXT 3001 F. PRO EXECUTIVE OFF: LCDR DANIEL KEANE (253)867-2610 EXT 3003 G. RB-M PRO FSD OVERSIGHT: (253)867-2610 EXT 3041/CELL: (253)561-6746 H. RB-M FIELD SUPPORT DESK: (877)526-4545 OR E-MAIL: HELPDESK(AT) RBMSUPPORT.COM I. INFORMATION ON THE RB-M IS AVAILABLE ON THE RB-M ACQUISITION PROJECT WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/ACQUISITION/RBM. 7. RADM JOHN H. KORN, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR ACQUISITION SENDS. 8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.