Navy 40 foot PB(X) to be built by Metal Shark
The Navy has recently awarded Metal Shark a contract for a new “force protection” patrol boat.
The basic information is:
BOA: 11’ 10″
PB-X aft, LRAD and .50 cal.
October 2, 2017: Metal Shark Wins U.S. Navy PB(X) Patrol Boat Contract
Jeanerette, LA – October 2, 2017: Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded the contract to produce the U.S. Navy’s next-generation patrol boat, the PB(X).
This award is the culmination of a multi-year process by the Navy to select the replacement for the fleet of force protection boats currently in use with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). Subject to annual appropriations, the Navy intends to replace approximately 100 to 160 of its existing 25-foot and 34-foot CRF patrol boats with the larger and more modern PB(X) platform over the next fifteen years.
The Navy has placed an initial, immediate order for eleven of the new vessels. Under the terms of the award, potentially worth over $90 million, Metal Shark will build up to 50 PB(X) vessels for the Navy, along with trailers, spares and training packages, and technical support.
“PB(X) was one of the most challenging and most sought-after U.S. military boat procurement opportunities in recent history; the result of a years-long process pitting Metal Shark’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities against multiple leading U.S. naval architect firms and nearly all of our competitors,” said Metal Shark’s CEO Chris Allard. “The award of PB(X) to Metal Shark is the result of a tremendous team effort and I couldn’t be more proud of our people.”
The winning PB(X) design is a 40-foot, welded-aluminum pilothouse patrol boat designed by Metal Shark’s in-house engineering team. Leveraging its extensive experience with military patrol craft of similar size, Metal Shark designed a bespoke craft ideally suited to accommodate all mission parameters.
Immediately identifiable thanks to its chiseled, angular profile and a unique faceted hull, the PB(X) is powered by twin diesel inboards and water jets. Metal Shark designed a moderate aft deadrise, wide-waterplane, sharp-entry hull form that not only achieves 35+ knot sprint speeds while displaying superb dynamic stability in a range of conditions, but also offers enhanced handling and greatly reduced operating cost at the 10-15 knot escort and cruise speeds where the vessel will spend the bulk of its operational life. The PB(X) features ballistic protection and can be armed with a range of crew-served and remotely operated weapons systems.
In order to fully optimize the hull and propose a more mature design, Metal Shark built a PBX running prototype hull, designated PB(X)-P1, which was extensively tested in a wide range of operating conditions. This test platform became the basis for Metal Shark’s resistance, powering, and weight testing, and determined the final configuration proposed to the Navy.
“The testing of PB(X)-P1 validated our design choices, mitigated our areas of concern, and resulted in a design proven to perform exactly as expected under real-world loads and conditions,” explained Mr. Allard. “We made this up-front investment to eliminate any and all potential concerns and to deliver a thoroughly tested and proven, next-generation patrol boat platform to the U.S. Navy.”
The PB(X) will be built at Metal Shark’s Jeanerette, Louisiana production facility, which specializes in the rapid, serialized assembly of military patrol boats. Other significant military fleet builds currently underway at the facility include ongoing production of the Navy’s 32’ Force Protection Boat – Medium (FPB-M) and 26’ High Speed Maneuverable Surface Target (HSMST), and the U.S. Coast Guard’s 29’ Response Boat – Small (RBS).
This is the second major U.S. Navy contract awarded to Metal Shark in 2017. In June, Metal Shark was selected to build up to thirteen Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs), for the Navy. These 85’ patrol boats are being produced at Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana waterfront shipyard.
“Winning PB(X) is a crowning achievement for us, but there’s a lot of work ahead,” said Mr. Allard. “The Navy is a long-standing customer we’re extremely familiar with and whose needs we understand intimately. We are eager and ready to commence PB(X) production and to begin supplying the world’s greatest Navy with the world’s most advanced patrol boat.”
Metal Shark PBX Prototype
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
It’s too bad the USCG didn’t make the same deal as well.
Why would they?
Still we don’t know a lot about the vessels relative to the RB-M. The only apparent advantage is the LRAD and weapons, particularly the Remote Weapon Station (RWS). In addition to its advantages as a weapon, the RWS offers the advantages of its electro-optic systems which can be used for navigation or looking for a man-overboard or heat sources like semi-submersibles.
Still these rely on simple machine guns to counter threats. My feeling is that on at least one of the escorts we really need small guided missiles to counter small fast, highly maneuverable threats and we need something capable of at least disabling a larger threat such as a medium to large merchant vessel.
I can see the USCG using this for curtain AOR’s and a Curtain sector.
If the 41′ that the 45′ replaced originally had a 20mm cannon, before they were modified for Vietnam. What could the 45′ be uparmed with in the advent of conflict? If the 45′ are supposed to last like 30 years who knows how they will be updated.
And Chuck I will have to disagree with you on the 40′ being better armed than the 45′ and 87′. We don’t know how they will be armed during a conflict compared to the 40′. And hopefully we never will.
Lyle, I was not saying the RB-Ms and 87 ft WPBs could not be upgunned, only that they are not as well armed now. Four of the 87 ft WPBs assigned to force protection units for the FBM subs already have stabilized RWS.
Really I was saying was that perhaps our boats should be better equipped now.
I certainly hope the replacements for the Marine Protector class will be.
I take it the square objects are the audio devices. Why put them in the gun fire line?
It now appears to me that there are five mounts aft, two on each side and one atop the towing bit on the centerline aft, with LRADs on two of them and .50 cal. MGs on three of them.
These are replacements for a lot of smaller force protection boats opreated by what used to be the MESRONs. Those were merged into the CRF a move some have questioned. I guess the size kick up is to let them operate outside the harbors? I would say this is a good buy.
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They are going to start producing one every four weeks or 13 per year. https://www.marinelog.com/shipyards/shipyard-news/video-metal-shark-set-for-full-rate-production-of-navys-next-gen-patrol-boats/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12208
Contrary to the title most of the news is about the new 40 foot patrol boar.
https://seapowermagazine.org/the-navys-shrinking-patrol-boat-force/
Also a note about another new boat.
“The Navy also has ordered 24 Force Protection-Medium (FP-M) patrol boats from Lake Assault Boats LLC, which was awarded a contract for up to 119 FP-Ms in February 2020. The 33-foot-long aluminum V-hull boats will be used for harbor and waterway patrols, interrogation of other waterborne assets and escorting large vessels in and out of ports in various weather and water conditions. The first was scheduled for delivery this spring. “
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