Norwegian Police Order Five Patrol Boats from Marell

Swedish builder Marell Boats informs it has been awarded a new contract to supply five fast patrolling and interceptor vessels to the Norwegian Police. The five new M12 RIBs will be delivered during from the third quarter this year through the first quarter 2023, to five different locations in south of Norway.

The medium-sized patrol boats will be used by the Norwegian Police for patrolling and assignments such as surveillance, search and rescue, boarding and control of recreational boats. It will also be used as a training platform of police personnel in boat handling and navigation. Each boat will be able to carry up to 10 people and operational equipment.

The most recent model introduced by the Swedish shipyard, the M12 RIB is designed as a modern high-speed patrol boat for the law enforcement segment, constructed in lightweight and strong materials with a fuel-efficient aluminum hull. The combination of the central helm station with an almost absent planing threshold, provides the helmsman with full control and good visibility 360 degrees at all speeds and in all conditions, the builder said.

This new model is based on Marell’s proven M15 platform, already used by Marine Police in Stockholm and as a fire fighter craft by the Greater Stockholm Fire Department, as well as a sightseeing boat by Hurtigruten Svalbard.

“This is one of the best high-performance crafts we have built. With the Marell M12 RIB we are introducing a new patrol boat model to law enforcement customers around the world,” said Patrik Söderholm, founder and CEO of Marell Boats.

Marianne Haahjem, Department Director for Procurement and Legal in the Norwegian Police Shared Services, said, "Marell Boats has offered a robust boat, which in this procurement process best fulfilled the specifications published by NPSS. For example, the boat facilitates close cooperation between the helmsman and navigator during high-speed maneuvering. It also delivers the best ratio of speed to load capacity. We expect this to be a solid addition to the Norwegian Police in the years to come."

The wheelhouse provides space for two crew members at the front, seated in Ullman suspension chairs, and for eight passengers seated in jockey seats behind. In the front of the cabin there is a seating area with toilet and a small pantry. The boat has a wide beam, which allows easy passage on both sides of the wheelhouse, from bow to stern. The low aft deck is particularly suitable for divers, drones, and life rafts while also being an effective platform for hoisting and retrieving injured people.

The canopy is made of vacuum molded GRP to reduce weight and noise, and to insulate the crew area from the effects from both cold and warm weather. The novelty of this design approach makes the craft suitable for both arctic and tropical conditions.

These M12 RIBs will be equipped with a twin engine set-up including the new Mercury 600HP V12 Verado engines, providing high propulsion efficiency over the whole speed range. The engine set-up will produce high-speed performance above 55 knots.

The five Marell M12 RIBs will be custom made for the Norwegian Police, however the M12 RIB can also be designed for other government as well as commercial or recreational customers. In addition to the RIB model, the M12 can also be configured as a Patrol, SAR, Crew or Tour boat for government and commercial customers alternatively as a tender or custom boat for recreational customers.