An Australian builder has delivered the final unit in a series of patrol boats while construction is underway on new naval vessels in Estonia, Spain, and Brazil. The US Coast Guard has meanwhile formally welcomed its newest cutter into service.
Estonian builder Baltic Workboats (BWB) recently laid the keel of the first of two new coastal patrol craft ordered from the company by the Estonian Navy.
The two coastal patrol craft are scheduled to be handed over to the Estonian Navy in the middle of 2027. They will replace vessels that were donated to Ukraine in 2024.
The newer vessels will each have all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 18.6 metres, a beam of 5.1 metres, a maximum draught of only 1.1 metres, and a crew complement of four. Two main engines will deliver a top speed of 38 knots, a cruising speed of 25 knots, and a range of 300 nautical miles.
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has begun the construction of modules for three new logistics ships being built for the UK Royal Navy.
The ships being built under the fleet solid support (FSS) programme were contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence through Navantia UK, Navantia’s British subsidiary.
Cutting of the first steel of the future RFA Resurgent, the first FSS ship, took place last month at Navantia UK’s shipyard in Appledore.
Austal Australia has launched the final Guardian-class patrol boat contracted for construction under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (PPBR) project of the Australian Department of Defence.
The vessel is the 24th in her class to be built under the program. To date, 22 ships have been delivered to various operators among Australia's neighbouring Pacific island countries.
Upon completion, the vessel will have an LOA of 39.5 metres, a beam of eight metres, a draught of 2.5 metres at full load, and space for 23 crewmembers.
Brazilian naval shipbuilder TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul recently held a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction of the Brazilian Navy's fourth Tamandaré-class stealth frigate.
Like her sisters, the future Mariz e Barros is being built by Águas Azuis, a consortium formed by German defence shipbuilder TKMS (via subsidiary TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul), Embraer Defense and Security, and Atech.
TKMS said the Tamandaré-class frigate program aims to modernise and strengthen the operational capabilities of the Brazilian Navy with modern ships that feature local components. Tamandaré, the class lead ship, was delivered in 2025 and will be commissioned into service before the end of January 2026.
The US Coast Guard commissioned its newest Sentinel-class fast response cutter in a ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on Thursday, January 22.
As with her earlier sisters, USCGC Olivia Hooker was built by Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana. She has a length of 154 feet (46.9 metres), a flank speed of 28 knots, a state of the art C4ISR suite, and a stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot (7.92-metre), over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat.
Her armament includes a 25mm autocannon and four 12.7mm machine guns.
