Birdon completed the first major milestone of the Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCC) program after hosting the initial Program Management Review (PMR) on June 14, 2023. The two-day event, held in Elmwood, LA near the company’s design office, confirms that Birdon has successfully met the design, production and planning capabilities expected by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) at this stage of the contract.
“Completing the PMR represents a major advance toward realizing our vision for WCC – creating certainty for our customer by engineering maritime solutions,” said Birdon President, Rob Scott. “We’re very grateful to the U.S. Coast Guard and our key partners who helped make this achievement possible.”
In addition to Birdon team leaders, the PMR brought together senior USCG leadership and delivery partners from across the United States.
Completing PMR demonstrates the successful partnership between Birdon and the USCG. Scott credited the collaboration and communication between the two teams as a key factor in allowing Birdon to reach this critical point in the program.
WCC is a vitally important program for both Birdon and the Coast Guard. Successfully completing the PMR confirms the project is proceeding on schedule.
The WCC vessels are essential to maintain and protect the U.S. Intra-coastal and Inland Marine Transportation System. An estimated 630 million tons of cargo is transported through this vital 12,000-mile system of commercially active inland waterways, accounting for more than $5.4 trillion annually and supporting 30.7 million jobs for the U.S. economy. To support the safe and efficient flow of economic activity along these U.S. rivers, lakes, intercoastal waterways and harbors, WCCs establish and maintain over 28,200 inland Federal Aids to Navigation (ATON). WCC’s also fulfill critical missions, including search and rescue (SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and security for ports, waterways, and coastal areas.