Eight Damen Interceptors for Panama

The National Air and Naval Service of Panama (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval - SENAN) has taken delivery of four Interceptor 1102 vessels from Damen Shipyards Group. The President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, performed the christening ceremonies of all four vessels on February 6, 2017.

Coinciding with the vessel handover, SENAN also signed a second contract with Damen for an additional batch of four Interceptors. Both contracts include a comprehensive after-sales package that consists of training, spare parts and maintenance.

SENAN will mobilize the four new vessels from its Fort Sherman Naval Base located at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal. The vessels’ primary function will be to combat illegal drug-trafficking activities in the surrounding area.

The Damen Interceptor 1102 features low weight construction from fiber reinforced polymer composite materials combined with twin Volvo D6 engines deliver outstanding results. “This is an ultra-fast vessel,” said Damen Sales Manager Americas, Pieter Becker. “It can reach speeds of more than 55 knots.” 

Also contributing to such high speeds is the vessel design: the single chine hull reduces the amount of impact in heavier seas and improves high speed maneuverability.

Crew ergonomics and safety are also important aspects of the Interceptor 1102 design. Damen said it has carried out a substantial amount of R&D to optimize both these matters for the six persons on board, including two crew plus four additional naval or security personnel.

Such specifications make the 11-meter long Interceptor suitable for other maritime security operations like anti-smuggling, anti-terrorist, rapid response, surveillance and Special Forces operations, according to the shipbuilder.

Construction of all the Interceptor 1102 vessels is being handled by Damen Shipyards Antalya in Turkey. “We handed the first four vessels over to SENAN just 12 weeks after the contract became effective,” Becker said, highlighting the benefits of Damen’s stock building strategy that can be seen in such short delivery times. “And now the after-sales phase begins – we will be providing SENAN with a broad service package comprising training, spare parts and our maintenance management system.”