Maritime Security Vessel News Roundup | March 23 – Patrol boats for Senegal, Cyprus and Puerto Rico plus a new US Navy landing craft

Deliveries include a new air-cushion landing craft for the US Navy and a response boat for the Puerto Rico Police Department. Construction is nearly complete on two new customs boats for Senegal. Finally, the Cyprus Police places orders for new fast coastal craft to be built in Finland.

Patrol boat delivered to Puerto Rico Police Department

US-based Metal Shark Boats has delivered a new patrol boat to the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD).

The newbuild is the fifth Metal Shark vessel to be acquired by the PRPD. It measures 36 feet (10.9 metres) long and is fitted with shock-mitigating crew seats, a Garmin radar, and three Mercury outboard engines.

Another two boats from the same series are under construction at Metal Shark’s facilities in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

US Navy acquires additional SSC landing craft

The US Navy has taken delivery of its newest Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) air-cushion landing craft, LCAC 105.

As with earlier SSCs, the craft is capable of making ship-to-shore transits over a distance of 25 nautical miles, ensuring the navy’s larger ships can remain in the relative safety of offshore waters when amphibious landings of troops, vehicles, and equipment are conducted in denied areas.

The vessel has an LOA of 92 feet (28 metres), a beam of 48 feet (14.6 metres), a height of 26 feet (7.92 metres), and a four-strong crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot, a loadmaster, and a deck engineer.

The craft’s open deck has a total area of 1,608 square feet (149 square metres) and can accommodate a maximum of 74 tons (67 tonnes) of assorted loads such as main battle tanks and other armoured vehicles, support vehicles, and heavy equipment. Separate from the cargo deck is an enclosed personnel transport module that can house 145 combat-equipped troops or 108 casualty victims.

The SSC was built by the Textron Marine and Land Systems division of Textron Systems Corporation.

Sea trials completed for new Senegalese customs patrol vessels

French boatbuilder Chantier Martinez Constructions Navales has completed sea trials of two new patrol boats in a series ordered by Senegal’s General Directorate of Customs (Douanes Senegalaises).

The 19.5-metre-long boats were built to a design by French naval architecture firm Mer et Design. Missions will include coastal surveillance and transfer of personnel to and from offshore platforms.

Each vessel can accommodate up to 16 people during personnel transfers. When conducting extended patrols, each boat’s capacity will be limited to only five people.

The two boats have been named Gandiol and Gormack Seck after two Senegalese cities.

Finnish builder to supply fast patrol boats to Cyprus Police

Finnish boatbuilder Kewatec Aluboat has been selected to supply 10 fast patrol boats to the Cyprus Police.

Each boat will have an aluminium hull, foam fenders, a length of 8.5 metres, and self-righting ability. Two Mercury V10 outboards will deliver a top speed of just over 50 knots.

Duties will include law enforcement, search and rescue, and maritime safety patrols up to 24 nautical miles from shore.