Defiant-class patrol vessel

The United States intends to build 13 small patrol vessels, based on the Damen Stan 2606 patrol vessel design, for small Caribbean nations, to be known as the Defiant class.[1][2][3] The US Navy, which will play an oversight role in the ship's construction, also calls the design Near Coastal Patrol Vessels. The $54 million contract was awarded to Metal Shark Boats of Louisiana.[4]

Partner nations will include Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala.[5][6]

Like the US Coast Guard's very successful Marine Protector class, also based on the Damen 2606 design, the Defiant-class vessels will be equipped with a stern launching ramp.[7][8][9]

The vessels will be able to accommodate a crew of ten or more—similar to the Marine Protector class.[3] The vessel will be powered by a pair of 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) diesel engines.

Delivery

Delivery of Defiant-class patrol vessels

name	operator	homeport	commissioned	retirement	notes
Betelgeuse	Dominican Navy	Santo Domingo	2020-08-21		Betelgeuse was commissioned on August 21, 2020.[10] The handover was attended by Emilio Recio Segura, Estanislao Gonell Regalado, Richard Vásquez Jiménez and Ney Aldrín Bautista Almonte, the senior officers in the Dominican Navy, Army, Air Force and National Police.[11]

See also

• Pacific-class patrol boat in the late 1980s Australia provided its neighbours with small patrol vessels
• Guardian-class patrol boat Australia is replacing the patrol vessels it provided its neighbours.

References

1. Jon Rosamund (2016-04-26). "US plans Latin American patrol vessel". Maritime Security. Archived from the original on 2016-04-30. Retrieved 2018-03-02. The US Navy has released details of a 75-85ft (23-26m) 'mothership' which officials hope will bolster the maritime security capabilities of partner nations in and around the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
2. "Damen and Metal Shark partner for FMS patrol boat project". Marine Log. 2017-07-07. Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-03-02. The US Navy recently selected Louisiana-based Metal Shark to build Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for United States partner nations through the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program (see earlier story).
3. "85 Defiant Class Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs)". Naval Technology. Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-03-02. The large aft deck of the vessel can house a 5.5m-long, ten-person rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB). The integrated stern slipway aboard the vessel will enable the launch and recovery of the boat.
4. "Metal Shark reels in big U.S. Navy contract to build patrol boats". Marine Log. June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-23. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
5. "Damen, Metal Shark partner for NCPVs". Maritime Security. 2017-07-14. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-07-07. Under the terms of the FMS, Metal Shark is building up to 13,85ft Defiant class welded aluminium cutters for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other US partner nations.
6. Ramona Adamson (2017-06-22). "Metal Shark Lands $54M Navy Contract to Build Near Coastal Patrol Vessels". Executive Biz. Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
7. Chuck Hill (2018-06-23). "Metal Shark Builds WPBs for FMS". Chuck Hill's blog. Archived from the original on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-04-03. The Metal Shark boats are a version of Damen’s Stan Patrol 2606 design, so nominally 26 meters long and 6 meters of beam, but according to the Website, 87′ length overall with a beam of 19’6″. The Marine Protector Class were also a Damen 2600 series design, so the two classes share a great deal of DNA.
8. "Defiant 80-85" (PDF). Metal Shark. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
9. "Defiant 80-85 brochure" (PDF). Metal Shark. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
10. Xavier Vavasseur (2020-08-21). "Dominican Navy Commissions First Near Coastal Patrol Vessel". Naval News. Retrieved 2020-08-23. The Dominican Navy (Armada de Republica Dominicana) took delivery of, and commissioned, its first Near Coastal Patrol Vessel (NCPV). The vessel, Betelgeuse (102), was donated by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program and was built by Metal Shark.
11. "Armada Dominicana incorpora un buque guardacostas donado por Estados Unidos" [Dominican Navy incorporates a coastguard vessel donated by the United States]. Diario Libre (in Spanish). Santo Domingo. 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-08-23.