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Patrol Vessel News

13 Mar 2024

Keel Laid for Finnish Border Guard’s New Patrol Vessel

The Finnish Border Guard, Meyer Turku, Baltic Operator and Bureau Veritas project teams (Credit: Meyer Turku)

The Finnish Border Guard has held a keel laying ceremony for its new patrol vessel at Baltic Operator's shipyard in Gdansk.On March 12, 2024, a keel laying ceremony was arranged at Baltic Operator’s shipyard in Gdansk. The ceremony took place in the presence of the representatives of the Finnish Border Guard, Meyer Turku, Baltic Operator and Bureau Veritas.The keel laying ceremony is an old tradition. Before the keel laying, the ordering party - the Finnish Border Guard - and the shipyard’s representative placed their lucky coins under the keel beneath the first block.Later on…

05 Mar 2024

Ukraine Says it Sunk a Russian Patrol Ship Near Crimea

(Photo: Ukraine Defense)

Ukrainian sea drones hit and sank a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea in an overnight attack, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday.Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said a special unit called Group 13 had fired Magura V5 maritime drones at the Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.It said on the Telegram messaging app that the vessel had sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides, at an estimated cost of $65 million."Right now this ship is on the seabed as a result of fire damage by unmanned boats…

29 Dec 2023

Venezuela Slams Deployment of British Warship to Guyana

© Grafvision / Adobe Stock

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said the deployment of a British warship to waters off the coast of Guyana breaches the "spirit" of an agreement reached between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities.Guyana and Venezuela agreed earlier this month to avoid the use of force and avoid increasing tensions in the long border dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo territory.The 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) Essequibo region is generally recognized as part of Guyana…

28 Dec 2023

USCG's New Cutters Can’t Arrive Soon Enough

(Photo: Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

The much-needed replacement for the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cutters (WMEC) took a giant step closer to joining the fleet as the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. on October 27, 2023.The future USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) was christened by the ship’s sponsor, Captain (Ret.) Beverly Kelley, the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, the 95-foot patrol boat, USCGC Cape Newagen (WPB 95318).

26 Dec 2023

UK to Send Navy Ship to Guyana Amid Venezuela Border Dispute

(File photo: LPhot Luke / U.K. Royal Navy)

Britain will deploy a naval ship off Guyana later this month, its ministry of defense said on Sunday, as the South American nation faces a border dispute with neighbor Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region.The deployment follows a visit by a British junior foreign minister to Guyana earlier this month, intended to offer the UK's support for the country, an ally and former British colony.Guyana and Venezuela agreed earlier this month to avoid any use of force and not to escalate tensions in the long-running dispute.Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said in a social media post

05 Dec 2023

Steerprop to Help Outfit Finnish Border Guard Ship

Finnish Boarder Guard Multi-Purpose Vessel. Image courtesy Steerprop

Steerprop won a contract with Meyer Turku shipyard to supply tunnel thrusters and retractable combi thrusters for two newbuild multi-purpose patrol vessels for the Finnish Border Guard.The Finnish Border Guard will replace three obsolete patrol vessels with two new offshore patrol vessels, similar in size to the Turva (Finnish for “protection” or “security”), the largest patrol vessel in the fleet to date. “Our new patrol vessels are multi-purpose vessels that have the capacity…

29 Nov 2023

SAR Officer Caleb Halle Receives 2023 IMO Bravery Award

Caleb Halle courtesy of the IMO.

The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…

15 Nov 2023

PIRIOU Delivers Second OPV to Senegalese Armed Forces

PIRIOU President Vincent Faujour and El Hadji Omar Youm in front of a model of the Walo © PIRIOU

French shipyard PIRIOU has delivered a second offshore patrol vessel to the Senegalese Navy.The vessel is part of the OPV 58 S class vessel program. The contract, signed in November 2019, covered the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels. After the Walo, delivered last June, and while the Cayor is being fitted out in Concarneau, the Niani is now flying the Senegalese flag ahead of schedule.Minister of the Armed Forces Omar Youm stated that “the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels is an excellent demonstration of the significant investments made by the State of Senegal…

18 Oct 2023

Norwegian Navy Shadows Chinese Vessel Probed over Baltic Pipeline Damage

A Norwegian Navy ship shadowed a Chinese container ship investigated over damage to a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland for about 15 hours as it sailed along the western coast of Norway on Monday, vessel tracking data showed.Finnish investigators on Tuesday said they were looking into the Chinese vessel, the NewNew Polar Bear, and a Russian-flagged ship, the Sevmorput, as well as other vessels, present in the area when a Baltic Sea pipeline was damaged on Oct. 8.They said the incident was due to "outside activity" and could have been deliberate.The NewNew Polar Bear is a container ship travelling between Europe and China via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic.

02 Oct 2023

Dongara Marine Awarded Large Patrol Vessel Contract

Source: Dongara Marine

Dongara Marine has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to build the Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's new large patrol vessel.The 24-meter fisheries patrol vessel will be built to a design from WA naval architecture firm Southerly Designs.The government is investing $13.7 million into the project to replace the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's ageing PV Walcott.The new patrol vessel will have a longer fuel range to conduct extended voyages…

19 Sep 2023

Brazil's Navy Seizes Record Amount of Cocaine

(Photo: Marinha do Brasil)

The Brazilian Navy said on Tuesday it had seized 3.6 metric tons of cocaine on a boat off the coast of northeastern Pernambuco state, in the largest single off-shore capture of the drug by Brazil.In a statement, the Navy said it had captured a small motor boat used for transporting people and cargo along the coast with five crew members heading to Africa.

30 Aug 2023

New Patrol Vessel Delivered to Thailand

Source: Incat Crowther

Thai shipbuilder Seacrest Marine has delivered an Incat Crowther-designed patrol boat to Thailand’s Customs Department.Launched in April 2023, the 20-meter monohull patrol vessel, Customs Boat 523, is now patrolling the oceans off the coast of Thailand. The vessel can operate at speeds of up to 35 knots with a cruising range of up to 300 nautical miles.Designed for maximum performance and efficiency, Customs Boat 523 boasts an efficient hull paired with twin-propeller propulsion, Incat Crowther said.

01 Aug 2023

$1B Contract for Trio of Next-Gen Italian Navy Patrol Boats

Image coutesy Fincantieri

As part of the OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) acquisition program of the Italian Navy (MM), Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), the joint venture owned by Fincantieri and Leonardo with stakes of 51% and 49% respectively, signed with the Directorate of Naval Armaments of the General Secretariat of Defence/DNA, the contract for the construction of three new generation patrol boats, with an option for three more.The value of the contract for the first three boats is $1B, including the related logistic support services. When completed the 2,300-ton vessels will measure 95m long and accommodate 97 crew.

25 Jul 2023

Energizing Naval & Coast Guard Missions

US Navy’s DDG 1000 destroyer (image credit, US Navy)

Moises DelToro at GE Vernova’s Power Conversion business, discusses how deploying a Ship’s Electric Grid is a flexible way to accommodate growing energy demands for naval and coast guard vessels.A new age of electrificationWe’re in a new naval era and it is reshaping views about fleet mixes and capabilities. Modern fleets need to be mission-configurable, highly capable for military advantage, adaptable for technology insertion, but still affordable. The growing demand for vessel power is increasingly an enabler for mission systems, not just for platform propulsion.

08 Jun 2023

America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft

U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48), moor a landing craft, utility during amphibious operations, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, in March 2023. (Photo: Christopher R. Lape / U.S. Marine Corps)

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

02 Jun 2023

Vard, Team Vigilance Unveil Vigilance Offshore Patrol Vessel at CANSEC

Credit: Vard Marine

Vard Marine Inc. (VARD), a Fincantieri company, has launched the Vigilance Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) at the Canadian defense trade show CANSEC 2023, in conjunction with Team Vigilance partner companies Heddle Shipyards, Thales Canada, SH Defence, and Fincantieri.Collectively, Team Vigilance partner companies bring vast and impressive capabilities and experience to bear in naval ship design, Canadian and global shipbuilding, the integration of combat and offboard systems, modular payload systems, and life-cycle solutions.

24 Mar 2023

OPV P71 Delivered, New Flagship of Armed Forces of Malta

Image courtesy Cantiere Navale Vittoria

The flag of the Republic of Malta waves on the Offshore Patrol Vessel P71 to celebrate the entry into service of the new flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria.At the AFM naval base in Floriana, Valletta, the official delivery ceremony was held for the largest patrol vessel ever built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria. The 75-m unit, built in Italy, will be used in coastal surveillance operations, extended patrolling on the high seas and Search and Rescue operations.OPV P71 is the result of an order with a total value of more than 50 million euros…

20 Jan 2023

UK Defense Ministry Buys Offshore Construction Vessel for Subsea Cable, Pipelines Protection

The UK defense ministry has acquired a subsea construction vessel that used to work in the offshore energy industry. The vessel, Topaz Tangaroa, will undergo a period of military modification and will be used to protect subsea cables and oil and gas pipelines.The Topaz Tangaora, to be renamed as it joins the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet, is the first of two future undersea surveillance ships, and it arrived at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. Thursday.Once operational, the ship will be used to protect seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines. "The 98-meter-long, adaptable offshore patrol vessel – the length of Big Ben – will act as a ‘mother ship’…

10 Jan 2023

UK Navy Rescues Five from Sinking Tug

(Photo: U.K. Royal Navy)

Five mariners were rescued by the crew of a U.K. Royal Navy patrol ship after their tug started to sink in rough seas last week in the Caribbean.The oceangoing tug began taking on water after suffering an engine failure some 20 miles west of Sint Maarten. The vessel's crew sent out a distress call around 1 p.m. on Friday and took refuge on the large sand barge their vessel had been towing.Patrol ship HMS Medway, the Royal Navy’s permanent presence in the region, was slightly more than a dozen miles away and promptly responded to the Mayday call.

08 Dec 2022

New Zealand Navy Idles Ships as Labor Crisis Hits

(Photo: New Zealand Defence Force)

Three of New Zealand’s nine naval ships are sitting idle in port as higher civilian salaries lure personnel out of the military, the country’s Defence Force said on Wednesday, even as tensions in the Pacific rise between China and the U.S. and its allies.The HMNZS Wellington, an offshore patrol vessel, headed back to New Zealand early from what was meant to be a three-month deployment in the Pacific and was taken out of operation in November because of shortages, the New Zealand Defence Force said.The Wellington is the third ship to be put into “care and custody”…

18 Nov 2022

All American Marine to Build Patrol Boat for Calif. Fish and Wildlife

(Image: All American Marine)

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM) announced it has been awarded a contract to build an new 74’ patrol vessel for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).CDFW manages California's diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, and its Law Enforcement Division protects California natural resources and provides public safety. The agency will use the new aluminum catamaran for patrolling state and international waters along the California Coast.The 74’ x 27.5’ (OAL) twin engine…

07 Nov 2022

Navy: Swedish Combat Boat 90, Both a Warrior and a Workhorse

A riverine command boat operates alongside the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zane Ecklund)

The Swedish-built Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) has established itself with military forces around the world as both a warrior and a workhorse. The 52-foot boats first entered service in 1991 as troop carriers with the Swedish Marines, which is still procuring them. There are more than 250 operating worldwide today.These rugged boats are optimized for high-speed / shallow-draft operations in and around Sweden’s many coastal islands, but they have also proven to be ideal for a variety of other applications and operating environments.The CB 90 is 52 feet long, with a draft of just 2 feet 7 inches.

07 Nov 2022

246-ft. Offshore Patrol Vessel Delivered to Armed Forces of Malta

Image Courtesy: Cantiere Navale Vittoria

OPV P71, a new 246 ft. (75m), 50-million Euro flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta -- the largest patrol vessel ever built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria -- today entered the port of La Valletta to start its missions of surveillance, coastal and offshore surveillance and SAR operations in the Central Mediterranean.Measuring 74.8 x 13m with a draft of 3.8m and a full load displacement of over 2,000 tons, OPV P71 can accommodate a crew of nearly 50 and an additional 20 staff. The platform is characterized by an elevated bridge with 360-degree vision capabilities…

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