Kuwait picking up 15 fast patrol boats
Depending on Congressional approval, the Kuwaitis are set to acquire 15 “fast patrol boats” from Kvichak Marine Industries of Kent, Washington, and 36 M2 .50 caliber heavy machine guns for the same in a FMS contract worth $100 million. Odds are the craft will be a modified version of the Coast Guard’s new 45-foot Response Boat-Mediums, which can make 42~ knots on diesel-powered waterjets.
A new 45-foot response boat medium (RB-M) passes by the Washington Monument on the Potomac River during a capabilities demonstration. This boat was the first model put into testing and is currently assigned to Station Little Creek, Va. U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Adam Eggers
In USCG service, RB-M’s mount a pair of M240s on pintels, which it looks like the Kuwaitis will upgrade to .50 cals.
Kvichak was one of two primary contractors for 174 44.5’ X 13.7’ RB-Ms for the USCG at about $3.3 million a pop. The company has also made sales of modified versions of the RB-M to Jordon, the LA County Sheriff’s department, and the NYPD (who operate five).
Sure, it wouldn’t seem that it would cost $100 million to pull it off, but the contract includes “support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support” as well as having two of Kvichak’s people live in Kuwait for two years for contractor support.