The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) has described the speed and manoeuvrability of its Austal-built 30-metre patrol boats as "impressive" following recent sea trials in Western Australia.
Ordered in 2008, half of the six-vessel fleet has already commenced a 33-day delivery voyage to Trinidad and Tobago, with the remaining three on schedule for completion at the end of the year.
The vessels will enable the TTCG to provide sustained surveillance in the country's internal waters, the archipelagic territorial sea and its exclusive economic zone.
Recent sea trials demonstrated the manoeuvrability of the lightweight, all-aluminium platform, which achieved a maximum speed of more than 40 knots, as well as a small tactical diameter and short crash stop distance.
"Our first impressions of the vessel were excellent, with the boat manoeuvring well and the speed right up over 40 knots," Director of Trinidad's Defence Transformation and Integration Secretariat CDRE Garnet Best said.
"We were also impressed with the noise levels inside the vessel, given many similar vessels can be quite noisy. These vessels will be the first of their size in the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard with water jets and as far as I have seen the technology is very good."
Austal was awarded the contract following a competitive international tender process. Austal is also providing crew training and five years of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services in Trinidad and Tobago under the contract.
The first three vessels – TTS 'Scarlet Ibis', TTS 'Hibiscus' and TTS 'Hummingbird' – departed Australia last month and are likely to be available for the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Trinidad and Tobago in November.
"These vessels have been designed to perform numerous roles including the interdiction of illegal drugs, customs and immigration border control, fire services and prisoner transport, protection of our marine environment as well as protection of our oil and gas resources," CDRE Best said.
Sea trials are currently underway on the remaining three vessels.