Charter for a Research Vessel with Ice Breaking Capabilities (RVIB)

Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC, Polar Services, (RPSC) is soliciting proposals to secure a charter for a Research Vessel with Ice Breaking capability (RVIB) to operate in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica and other locations in support of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). RPSC presently charters and provides science support staffing on the ARSV LAURENCE M. GOULD and the RVIB NATHANIEL B. PALMER for the National Science Foundation (NSF), an agency of the United States Government. On behalf of the NSF, RPSC is pursuing the charter of a vessel to meet the oceanographic and logistics support requirements of the USAP. The vessel is to be chartered for a period of five (5) years with options for up to another five (5) years. The purpose of this announcement is to seek proposals from interested parties in industry capable of supplying a vessel to continue to provide services currently supported by the RVIB NATHANIEL B. PALMER. RPSC is seeking proposals that include the building of a new ship or the reconditioning and/or overhaul of an existing similar ice classed vessel. The vessel is required to operate frequently in the often extremely stormy waters south of Cape Horn in the Drake Passage with regular operations south of 60 degrees South Latitude and in sea ice to support oceanographic research throughout the Southern Ocean including the Weddell, Bellingshausen, Amundsen and Ross Seas, and USAP logistics for Palmer and McMurdo Stations and other field locations. The vessel must be seaworthy, fully found, appropriately classed, be able to provide a stable platform from which to conduct scientific research and comfortable enough to safely support personnel at sea for extended periods up to 65 days at a time. Such remote operations necessarily require a reliable and well fitted vessel. Operations in support of scientific research will be the key evaluation criteria within the technical requirements of the Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP will be issued on 14 January 2011. To receive the full RFP, industry is requested to contact Raytheon Technical Services Company, Polar Services directly: Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC Polar Services 7400 S. Tucson Way Centennial, CO 80112-3938 Primary Point of Contact: Attn: Mr. Jim Weber 720-568-2343 Office 303-790-9129 Fax [email protected]