Patrol Boats Delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard
Six new military patrol boats built by Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark have been delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard.
The welded-aluminum Metal Shark 45-foot Defiant pilothouse patrol vessels were provided to Vietnam by the United States in a move that underscores the increased security cooperation between the two nations. The vessels were officially handed over by U.S. Ambassador Ted Osius to the Vietnam Coast Guard on Monday in the province of Quang Nam.
The new patrol boats will be employed by the Vietnam Coast Guard on law enforcement missions focused on smuggling, illicit trafficking, piracy and armed robbery against ships, and illegal fishing, according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy.
The vessels, which were built at Metal Shark’s Franklin, La. waterfront shipyard complex, are powered with twin Cat C-9 diesel engines mated to Hamilton water jets. Urethane-sheathed, closed-cell foam collars by Wing provide impact protection during alongside maneuvers or while docking. Metal Shark’s Defiant-class design has been extensively proven among military operators, with parent craft vessels in service with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and the militaries of U.S. partner nations worldwide.