The Ecuadorian Navy has commissioned a recently acquired patrol vessel into service.
BAE Jambelí is the former KCG 3301, lead ship of the Tae Pyung Yang-class patrol vessels operated by the Korea Coast Guard (KCG). She was commissioned into KCG service in 1994 and had been used for exclusive economic zone surveillance and search and rescue missions until she was decommissioned in 2024.
With a length of 105 metres and a lightship displacement of approximately 3,000 tons, Jambelí is the largest patrol vessel in active service with the Ecuadorian Navy.
Prior to being recommissioned into Ecuadorian service, the vessel underwent an extensive modernisation program while Ecuadorian Navy crews went to South Korea for familiarisation and training.
The vessel also features a flight deck and hangar for use by a helicopter, space for three small fast boats, and accommodation for up to 60 crewmembers and other personnel. The vessel can stay out at sea for 40 days.
Jambelí's missions in Ecuadorian service will include environmental protection and counter-drug trafficking patrols.
