VESSEL REVIEW | KB-1 – Versatile high-speed coast guard boats for Turkey

The Turkish Coast Guard Command has taken delivery of the first vessel in a new series of composite-hulled fast patrol boats supplied by local defence and shipbuilding firm ARES Shipyard.

The new patrol boat has an LOA of 12.04 metres, a beam of 3.76 metres, and a draught of 0.8 metres. Built to Turk Loydu classification, the vessel is capable of operations in all coastal areas of Turkey spanning the northeast portion of the Black Sea to the southeast portion of the Mediterranean and including the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Its missions will include anti-smuggling patrols, search and rescue (SAR), exclusive economic zone (EEZ) patrols, and anti-illegal migration operations.

Due to its small size, the vessel is ideal for deployment from small, lightly populated coastal areas that are lacking in port infrastructure. No permanent coast guard personnel will be assigned to operate the boat. Instead, it will be crewed by coast guard and local gendarmerie units on a rotational basis.

Two inboard diesel engines drive a pair of waterjets to propel the boat to a maximum speed of 35 knots, ensuring quick responses to emergency situations. At more economical cruising speeds, it can sail for up to 160 nautical miles.

ARES will supply the coast guard command with an additional firm 104 boats from the same series over a period of five years, though the builder said that options will continue to be available for additional vessels to be delivered depending on the service’s requirements. Under the same newbuilding contract awarded by the Turkish government in 2021, ARES will deliver a further 17 identical patrol boats the country’s General Directorate of Security, which performs national civilian police functions.

The contract for all 122 coast guard and police patrol boats is valued at more than €70 million (US$71.6 million), making it one of the largest single orders for locally built, Turkish government-operated vessels.

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