VESSEL REVIEW | Malongo – Angola's first locally built aluminium patrol boat to provide offshore security for Sonangol

Angolan private security company Teleservice launched Malongo, the first vessel of its class, at a ceremony in Luanda on July 17, 2026.

The aluminium patrol boat was built by Kianda Estaleiro Naval in Icolo e Bengo province and will conduct maritime surveillance around Sonangol Exploration and Production's offshore Blocks 3 and 4.

Malongo is the country’s first aluminium craft developed and manufactured domestically. It required 14 months to build, and the Angolan press reported an initial budget equivalent to US$5 million.

The Bureau Veritas-classed boat was designed by KND Naval Design of South Africa, which describes it as a 50-foot (15-metre) search and rescue patrol vessel intended for rapid response and endurance.

Built to protect offshore operations from disruptive fishing activities

Sonangol E&P chief executive Ricardo Van-Deste said fishing boats had repeatedly entered the exclusion zones around the company's offshore installations. He said Sonangol's relationship with Teleservice began about eight years ago through a services contract with the then-research and production division, and that in 2021, the operator challenged the contractor to develop a domestic solution for protecting the offshore perimeters.

The resulting program extended Teleservice's land-based security work to sea, and Sonangol said incidents in its offshore operating areas had fallen significantly as a result. Van-Deste said the Teleservice investment would improve the effectiveness of maritime security operations and provide specialised assets matched to the oil industry's operating requirements.

The 15.48-metre (50.79-foot) Malongo has a beam of 4.61 metres (15.1 feet), a draught of only 0.8 metre (2.6 feet), and a hull of marine-grade aluminium. Hull plating is 5083 aluminium, frame spacing is 500 mm, and the wheelhouse is also aluminium.

Propulsion on Malongo comprises two Volvo Penta D11-670 diesel engines, each rated 670 hp (500 kW) at 2,450 rpm, driving two Marine Jet Power X310 waterjets. Published performance is 35 knots maximum and 25 knots cruise at full load.

Capable of long-endurance operation and with secondary firefighting function

Fuel capacity is listed as 3,000 litres (660 gallons) on the fleet page, with the tank plan on the data card showing two 1,460-litre (321-gallon) tanks. Fresh water is carried in two 335-litre (73.7 gallons) tanks for a total of 650 litres (140 gallons), alongside a 120-litre (26-gallon) blackwater tank, with 200 litres (40 gallons) for waste water.

Electrical supply is 230 VAC single-phase and 24 VDC, supported by 24V, 200Ah lithium batteries. A Picolo Whisper 10kW genset and full air conditioning are also fitted.

Navigation and communication equipment includes a Garmin radar, a Furuno NavNet 3D GPS, AIS and VHF and HF radios. Mobile firefighting equipment is also carried.

The deck plan provides seating for four crew and four additional personnel. The wheelhouse layout includes two jump seats, a folding table, lockers and a refrigerator and freezer.

Figueiredo said the boat could cover more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) without refuelling, and the stated operational requirement was the ability to stay at sea and patrol the whole Angolan coast from the Cunene River in the south to the Congo River in the north on a single load of fuel. Reporting on the launch also described Malongo as capable of a Luanda–Cabinda–Luanda round trip at cruise speed without bunkering.

At the launch, D'Abreu remarked that the boat demonstrated that Angolan engineering and industry could meet the requirements of strategic sectors including port operations and offshore energy.

"In a country with approximately 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline, establishing a strong maritime economy also depends on the ability to develop a robust, innovative, and competitive shipbuilding industry," D'Abreu said.

A second boat of the same model is scheduled for launch in October 2026. Figueiredo said follow-on hulls should take 10 to 11 months to build rather than the 14 months needed for the first.