Small boat standardization: the Coast Guard is replacing its aging fleet of non-standard boats with multi-mission vessels that share common systems and effectively meet the increasing demand for highly capable, technologically advanced platforms--and delivering them faster than ever. From: Coast Guard Magazine | Date: June 1, 2006| Author: O'Berry, Mike | COPYRIGHT 2006 U.S. Coast Guard. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

"A mixed bag." Five years ago, that was probably a good way to describe the Coast Guard's small boat fleet. That's because historically, areas and districts purchased their own boats, resulting in a collection of vessels that shared little more than Coast Guard identification.

Then, around 1999, the Coast Guard began to "standardize" small boats. When completed, the Coast Guard will go from hundreds of different small boat types to fewer than 10--a move that promises im...