Request for Information HSC-L_10-28-2025.pdf

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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Homeland Security Cutter – Light Icebreaker Icebreaking Vessel Designs and Builders

1.0 PURPOSE

This RFI seeks available icebreaker designs from the U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial bases, including an understanding of the level of maturity of each design.

This RFI requests information regarding industry capability to produce icebreaking-capable vessels from within the U.S. maritime industrial base.

This RFI extends to the U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial base with vessel designs that pertain to existing or production-ready icebreaking capable vessels which satisfy or closely satisfy the below preliminary capability parameters necessary to accomplish the vessel’s missions.

Parameter Requirement Length 70 ft or less.

Draft 7 ft or less in full load condition: 95% liquid load and three 5x11 buoys, sinkers, and associated equipment (24,000 lbs total).

Icebreaking The vessel shall be capable of independently breaking freshwater ice with a thickness of 12 inches at a continuous speed of 3 knots.

Endurance The vessel shall be capable of conducting unreplenished icebreaking operations for three days with six crewmembers, to include: fuel, potable water, sewage, greywater, and food.

Air Draft The vessel shall be capable of achieving a fixed height of no more than 20 ft above the waterline.

Aids to Navigation

(ATON)

Capability

The vessel shall be capable of retrieving, deploying, stowing, transporting, and servicing at least three 5x11 ft buoys with moorings and associated equipment.

Mission Equipment

(Crane)

Lifting capacity: 4,500 lbs.

Reach: 5 ft beyond deck edge.

Additionally, the USCG would like to gain insight into recently proven execution and build strategies as well as the current capability, capacity, and availability of domestic shipyards to support the construction and subsequent launch of an existing icebreaking-capable vessel design within twenty-four months of a potential contract award.

For RFI planning purposes, the potential contract award is being considered as early as mid- 2026.

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2.0 PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The program seeks to recapitalize the existing 65’ WYTL fleet. This fleet facilitates safe navigation and commerce in the Northeast. The fleet is planned to support the aids to navigation mission in this region. The program was previously known as the Domestic Icebreakers Program.

3.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION

In response, the USCG requests the following information:

1) Vendor Type – interested parties should confirm their role within the maritime industrial base and whether the interested party is U.S. or allied nation-based (e.g., a design or engineering firm, vessel owner or operator, maritime services company, vessel construction manager, shipyard, and other within the U.S. or an allied nation).

2) Vendor Categorization – please indicate size status and representations of your business, including socioeconomic categories, using the size standards associated with NAICS codes 541330 Engineering Design Services and/or 336612 Boat Building.

3) Placemat or “One-Pager” – please detail the general design characteristics and capabilities of an existing vessel or a production-ready / mature vessel design(s) that satisfies or closely satisfies the above parameters.

4) Design Maturity – if your response describes a vessel design, please identify when the vessel design was last produced at a shipyard. If the vessel design has not been produced at a shipyard, please describe the current level of maturity of the vessel design (e.g., concept, preliminary, functional, detailed, production-ready). Lastly, please address your approach, list of changes and associated risks with modifications to meet or nearly meet the desired capability parameters.

5) Contract Design Considerations – for interested U.S. shipyards, if the government were to ultimately provide a contract design as part of the request for proposal (RFP) for a production-ready design and production contract, what would be the pros and cons you associated with that approach? See Section 4.0 Contract Design Reports and Diagrams for proposed list of provided information within the contract design.

6) Shipyard Availability, Capacity, and Capability – for interested U.S. shipyards, please confirm and demonstrate (with supporting documentation) how your facility or facilities have the availability, capacity, and capability to produce and launch a vessel designed to the above parameters within 24 months of a potential contract award. Please include risks or concerns associated with the planned execution strategy (e.g., procurement of long lead equipment).

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7) Execution Strategy – for interested U.S. shipyards, please demonstrate experience (with supporting documentation) where your facility or facilities have the capacity and capability to produce and launch a vessel designed similarly to the above parameters within 24 months of a potential contract award. Please include your customer type (e.g., government), level of external oversight, cost, schedule, and risks or concerns associated with your experience that may affect your planned execution strategy (e.g., procurement of long lead equipment). Please include your future shipyard availability.

8) Execution Experience – for interested U.S. shipyards, please describe experience producing a vessel of similar size and complexity, including design and production duration, rough order of magnitude cost, customer type (e.g. government), and level of external oversight/quality assurance approach.

9) U.S. Partnership – for allied nation industrial partners, do you have an established partnership or previous production experience with U.S. shipyard(s)? If so, which shipyard(s) and when?

10) Contract Considerations – what other contract considerations might the government contemplate as part of its acquisition strategy?

11) Acquisition strategy – The Coast Guard is considering alternative acquisition approaches and requirements tailoring, such as designing and building to commercial standards, where practical, and/or the use of a vessel construction manager or streamlined government quality assurance processes. Please share your perspective on the potential impacts associated with these approaches. Do you have suggestions for how the Coast Guard could modify its acquisition approach to reduce costs, minimize risks, and/or expedite delivery schedule?

12) Schedule – please provide a notional schedule to complete a production ready design and by hull production duration for a fleet of up to seven vessels (e.g., a Gantt chart).

13) Cost Estimate – please provide a rough order of magnitude cost estimate for design (parent craft design modification, if proposed, or production-ready design). Please provide a separate rough order of magnitude cost estimate for production of up to seven vessels. Please include relevant assumptions (e.g., inflation, labor rates, quantity of vessels). Note: This ROM is non-binding and for planning purposes only.

4.0 CONTRACT DESIGN REPORTS AND DIAGRAMS

Below is a notional list of artifacts provided as part of the contract design.

1. List of Drawings & Reports

2. Placemat

3. Hull Lines Plan

4. Baseline Weight Estimates (3-digit SWBS)

5. Hydrostatics, Intact and Damage Stability

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6. Critical Equipment List

7. Equipment List

8. Speed, Power, and Endurance Analysis

9. Structural Design Report

10. Structural Drawing Package

11. General Arrangement

12. Machinery Arrangement

13. Shafting Arrangement

14. Machinery Cooling System Diagram

15. Exhaust System Diagram

16. Fuel System Diagram

17. Hydraulic Systems Diagram

18. Hydraulic Systems Report

19. Fire Protection System Design Report

20. Fire Protection System Diagram

21. Bilge, Ballast and Drainage System Diagram

22. Electrical One-Line Diagram

23. Electrical Power Load Analysis (EPLA)

24. Machinery Controls and C5I Schematic Block Diagram

25. Topside Antenna Arrangement

26. HVAC Load Calculations

27. HVAC System Diagram

4.0 RESPONSES

Interested parties should respond to this RFI no later than 12:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EDT), on November 10, 2025. RFI responses shall be submitted electronically via email to:

• William “Bill” Lewis – William.E.Lewis3@uscg.mil

The subject line must read “Homeland Security Cutter – Light Icebreaker: RFI RESPONSE - [Company Name] - RFI # 70Z02326IHSCLIGHT”

Responses shall be submitted as searchable PDFs.

Responses shall be limited to a total of five pages per design/vessel proposed, including cover page, for questions 1-11.

Answers to questions 12-13 may be submitted as appendices (no page limit).

4.1 Additional Guidance

Submission of proprietary information is not requested. If proprietary content is submitted voluntarily:

mailto:William.E.Lewis3@uscg.mil

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• The information shall be clearly and appropriately marked as proprietary.

• The information shall be provided separately from unrestricted materials as an appendix.

The USCG will not return submissions but will safeguard any proprietary information included in a response to this RFI.

The following type of responses will not be accepted as part of this RFI:

1) Responses submitted as marketing brochures or general capability presentations

2) Responses submitted via telephone or voicemail

5.0 RFI DISCLAIMER

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for information and planning purposes, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Participants are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs that result from responding to this RFI; costs associated with responding to this RFI will be at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in a future RFP.

4.0 CONTRACT DESIGN REPORTS AND DIAGRAMS