Mobile, Ala. – Silver Ships, a leading manufacturer of workboats has recently completed reactivation and crew familiarization training on four Coastal Fast Response Boats (CFRBs) that were recently delivered to the Montenegrin Navy. Training took place over two weeks and culminated with a graduation ceremony attended by officials from the Montenegrin Navy, Montenegrin Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Embassy. U.S. Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke was on hand to congratulate the crews and award training certificates.

The CFRBs will be used for coastal and harbor patrol, as well as law enforcement interceptor vessels patrolling Montenegro’s 183 miles of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. The large, fast, cabin vessel amplifies the features of Silver Ships’ popular Endeavor and Ambar series vessels. The CFRB platform is versatile and can be tailored to specific mission needs.

The four custom-designed military CRFBs feature specialized communications and navigation equipment. The durable, 46-foot deep-vee hull vessel features a cabin and WING collar system.  The boats are powered by twin Caterpillar C7.1 500hp marine diesel engines and Hamilton HJX-29 waterjets. The C7.1 diesels provide efficient fuel combustion, quieter operation and no visible smoke when running. The engines were supplied by Silver Ships partner Thompson Marine.

“Thompson Marine has been an impressive and highly reliable partner on this build. They provided the critical power train (main diesel engine and transmission) for the project. Their implementation engineering team’s responsiveness is exceptional, which continues to make them a dependable and valued partner for this important and high-visibility project and future projects,” said Jason Powers, Silver Ships Chief Operating Officer.

“We are honored that Silver Ships trusts Thompson Marine’s engineering and project management team to be their partner in this fleet’s creation. Our great working relationship has been forged over years together, and we’re always proud of the vessels they design and manufacture. CAT’s C7.1 engines suit the CFRB application with their power-to-weight ratio, great torque and ease of maintenance for the operators,” said Richard Tremayne, Thompson Marine General Manager – Marine.

“It was very rewarding to work alongside the highly professional Montenegrin Navy. They hand-selected their CFRB crews based on experience and ability to work together as a team. Their Sailors caught on very quickly and within just a few days our team was impressed by their enthusiasm and work ethic as they were performing advanced seamanship and maintenance operations on the vessels. This NATO Navy is small but very capable and these boats will serve as a workhorse as they fulfill their diverse coastal patrol missions,” said Shawn Lobree, Silver Ships Director of Federal Programs and retired U.S. Navy captain.

The CFRB vessels were procured under a contract award worth $6.12 million from the Naval Sea Systems Command. There are two variants in this project; the Montenegro and Guatemala variants, which differ mainly in their electrical systems which need to be compatible with in-country electrical grids. The vessels were designed and constructed as a part of the U.S. Navy Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

For more than 35 years Silver Ships has worked with the U.S. Military in creating mission-specific boats. Silver Ships takes pride in our support of the U.S. Military and our allies and remains dedicated to meeting all operational needs while offering maximum crew safety and outstanding performance.